RWBY Heroes: A Double-Edged Sword
by Dunedan
Summary: Four new students join Beacon Academy for the year, unaware of the darkness yet to come. Can these newcomers lend their strength to our heroes and lessen the sorrows they face...or merely make things worse? A story spanning the series with new characters whose presence cause ripples of change to the events we have come to know.
1. A New Beacon

**First chance at writing in a loooong time. Just an idea I had for one of my favorite shows that takes place alongside the events of the series. What if four new friends can turn the tide and be in the right place at the right time? The cover image art was done by AzaryaS, a very talented artist on DeviantArt who has done other pieces for this story. If you like RWBY artwork I would definitely recommend checking her other work out.**

 **Four new student's join Beacon Academy unaware of the darkness behind the shadows or the tragedies yet to come. Can these newcomers lend their strength to our heroes and lessen the sorrows they face?**

Esmerelda stepped off the airship, her long auburn hair whipping in the wind as she beheld the gorgeous sight before her. The trip had been faster than expected; leaving her hardly any time to talk with the other new students. She would have called it boring if not for the young man who got airsick at the end. Esmerelda had been worried about studying at the famed Huntsman Academy and the vision before her only heightened her anxiety.

In the distance stood the towers of Beacon Academy reaching high into the sky dwarfing the numerous greenery and trees scattered about the grounds. She had smelled the water before disembarking but had no idea the ponds and canals ran through the entire area. Unable to contain the fringes of a smile, she took her time taking in the sights, everywhere she looked gave off a sense of majesty and wonder.

"Plenty of good study spots," she muttered to herself as she often did when she was excited. "I wonder if we are allowed to swim…"

She had been so entranced she nearly forgot that a few dozen others were disembarking right behind her; an especially large baggage cart full of suitcases bumped the weapon at her hip.

"Sorry," she stepped aside with an apologetic smile. She gripped the hilt of her curved blade tightly as she bowed.

"Just be more careful," the white-haired girl snapped as she pushed the cart past her, not even offering another word.

Esmerelda looked the girl up and down as she passed, noticing the unique sword at her waist. Her dress was clearly made of high-end material and despite the limited color scheme put her own to shame. Esmerelda wore a streamlined deep blue leather vest and tight black pants to allow easier movement. She'd never grown accustomed to a combat skirt like the one the pale-girl wore.

 _White hair, pale complexion in a white dress…she needs to expand her color palate...pity about that scar over her eye._

"Now…where was that opening ceremony taking place again?"

 **Beacon Tower…**

Horatio shifted uncomfortably in the elevator, hoping that he was not sweating as much as he feared. He'd been elated upon hearing of his acceptance to Beacon Academy, even making sure to arrive ahead of the rest of the new students, yet now he had already been called to the Headmaster's office. Worst of all it appeared he was the only one who had been.

The blonde woman who provided the summons stood alongside him in the elevator. Horatio wanted to ask what this was about, but her stern demeanor caused him to hesitate at each attempt. The riding crop in her hands certainly did not help matters any. That coupled with the fact he could not recall if her name was Glenda or Glynda…he was notoriously terrible with names.

The elevator reached its destination with a sudden lurch, the metal doors sliding open to reveal the Headmaster's Office with a welcoming ding.

The room was large and full of working clockwork machinations which Horatio felt clashed strongly against the magical wonder he had felt upon entering Beacon. He found no chair in sight and was forced to stand before the imposing table.

Behind the desk sat Headmaster Ozpin, Horatio had seen photos of him in history books of Beacon Academy. He wore the same black suit and green undershirt he had in many of the pictures. His black spectacles were far enough down his nose that his brown eyes were visible offset by white hair, he looked very serious.

"Horatio Soplar," he read aloud from a folder in his hand. "Accepted to Beacon Academy this year, top of your class in hand to hand combat at your previous institution, requested transfer to Beacon to continue studies." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Semblance…unattained?"

Horatio stared blankly before realizing that he was awaiting an answer. "Yes, Headmaster, Professor Sawyer felt that I could find mine early but nothing ever came of it before my transfer. His training was instrumental in reinforcing my aura."

Ozpin stared at him for a moment, his neutral expression completely unchanged.

"I can tell you are very nervous so I will forgive your attempt at deception," he finally replied, standing up and walking around his desk. He carried a walking cane with a unique handle Horatio had never seen before, though it appeared he did not actually need it to walk. "Few people I know have so brilliant an aura as you do now."

Horatio glanced at his arms as if half-expecting them to be glowing as he spoke.

"I witnessed your last martial arts final at your last school," Ozpin continued. "You overpowered that man with no effort despite their clear physical advantage over you. Though you did well to make it appear that the match was closer than it actually was."

Ozpin knew, Horatio exhaled sharply, he should have known someone as renowned as Professor Ozpin would see right through him. Damage control was his only option.

"I'm sorry sir," he started, standing up as straight as he could. "I did attain my semblance some time ago. But it's complicated, if even a single person knew how it works, how it TRULY works, then it could be countered and become useless. As long as no one knows how my semblance works or if I even have one no one can touch me sir. I can do so much more good that way, I….I just want to help people."

Ozpin looked into his eyes, analyzing every word. Gently he laid a hand on Horatio's shoulders, a smile spreading across his face.

"That is very noble young man, but semblances can be very dangerous if not trained properly. Too much usage, neglected usage or even one's emotional state can cause it to change or hurt you in unexpected ways. If we do not know what it is we cannot help to understand what can or cannot be done."

Horatio's mind was racing; he had worked so hard to keep his promise to his mother and keep the specifics of his semblance a secret since it unlocked years ago. If Professor Ozpin, or anyone found out, it was only a matter of time before at least someone else would hear…he could not allow that.

"Can I prove it to you sir? Show you that without an understanding of it that I can take any hit? That nothing can hurt me!"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow; Horatio hoped he had piqued his curiosity.

"Hit me as hard as you can sir."

"What?!" This came from the blonde woman who had been standing to the side the entire conversation.

"Hit me with any attack, any weapon, anything at your disposal sir. If I take even a single step backwards I will tell you everything you want to know and you can put it in my permanent record. But if I remain standing without any reaction I can leave the form blank. We can say my strength and resilience is due to my aura. I-is that ok?"

Professor Ozpin only turned and walked towards his window, staring out at the sky for several tense moments.

"If that is your wish." He replied with a sigh, forming a green orb of energy in his hand. "Ms. Goodwitch, please be ready with medical treatment if necessary."

With that final word, the green orb rocketed out of his hand impacting Horatio square in the chest before he could even take another breath.

 **Beacon Courtyard…**

The explosion shook the area, causing everyone to jump and a dead silence to fall over the area.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" The white-haired girl shouted at another soot-covered student from where it appears the explosion had originated.

Roland groaned loudly, he hadn't been too close when the girl's sneeze suddenly exploded but the shock had sent him flying into the nearby bushes. He didn't know what kind they were exactly, but they hurt.

"Are you ok?"

Roland looked up, the cutest girl he thought he had ever seen was leaning over him offering a hand to help him up. She had dirty blonde hair tied into a single short ponytail in the back and the biggest smile on her face. The fellow recent arrival seemed surprisingly strong when she pulled him to his feet with no effort.

"First time seeing a girl explode I take it?" She asked, clearly trying to contain a stifled laugh.

"Nah I have two sisters," he paused for a moment to see if she would find it funny though he could not tell if she was trying to contain her previous laugh or found his current attempt at wit funny. "They should really handle dust more delicately though."

Roland and his new acquaintance watched from a safe distance as the explodee cringed at the verbal beating she was receiving from the other girl. The source of the explosion was dressed in a red and black combat skirt with matching hair. She had no chance to counter as the snow white-attired young woman kept a finger pointed in her face, lecturing on the dangers of dust if worked with improperly. They dared not risk inching any closer lest they be pulled in.

"I am guessing you are a new student?" She finally asked as Roland brushed himself off, the arguing girls in the background seemed to be subsiding.

"I am, you too?" Roland asked, looking at the girl's chosen clothing.

She was dressed in brown and green camouflage fatigues with matching shorts completed by a pair of combat boots. The shoulders of her shirt were cut out, no doubt to allow a great range of motion with her arms. On her back was slung a unique similarly-colored Sniper Rifle with a few streaks of blue and silver almost as tall as she was. Roland would not have wanted to run into her in a dark alley.

The young man glanced down, now self-conscious of his own clothes. He was much more simply dressed with a bronze-colored vest over a simple gray t-shirt and blue jeans. He wore a pair of black leather gloves and around his neck he had an old necklace his father had given him of a cross surrounded by laurels. On his back sat an immense kite shield with a matching design. He hated to admit that the size of his bulwark was partially responsible for his tumble into the bushes.

"Pretty gutsy to be a huntsman with only a shield and no weapons," she chuckled. "Come on, the opening ceremony will be starting soon, my name is Olivia by the way."

"Roland," He replied with a smile as they turned towards the main building.

It was not long before they spotted the girl who had been on the receiving end of the previous explosion-related argument rushing to catch up to the line of arriving students; she was talking with a new guy….

"Jaune! Hey Jaune!" Roland shouted. He had met Jaune Arc on the airship over and the two had hit it off. They had been separated during the initial disembarking as the blonde knight fled to find a waste basket to be sick in, but his spirits lifted at seeing him again. The young man had mismatched armor and appeared to be quite awkward around new people, but Roland prided himself on his judgement of other people, Jaune was a good guy.

A loud scream erupted from Olivia at the sight of the girl he was walking with.

"I…..is that a customizable high impact sniper rifle like mine!?" She practically had stars in her eyes and somehow her smile had gotten even bigger.

 **Beacon Amphitheater…**

Roland was relatively certain that Olivia knew the exact specifications of the explosion girl's weapon by the time they reached the Ceremony hall. Turns out her name was Ruby Rose and had named her weapon Crescent Rose quite fittingly based on her color scheme and silver brooch attached to her belt.

"I built my baby girl too," Olivia smiled, motioning to the rifle on her back. "It's just a rifle though without a name," she glanced downward, clearly disappointed she hadn't considered coming up with one. "I can't believe I didn't think of adding a melee component. Just picture it. "She spread her arms wide into the air as if conjuring an image of the picture in her mind. "Chainsaw sniper rifle."

"That…sounds…awesome!" Ruby shouted, causing all both of them to burst into laughter.

"Girls, am I right?" Jaune muttered to Roland under his breath.

"It's ok," he whispered back. "I never took much of an interest in exotic weaponry either."

Jaune glanced at the scabbard at his side. It contained his own weapon, a sword and only a sword.

"Go with what you know," Roland smiled, motioning at his own shield. "And you can't go wrong, do you see any open seats?"

"HEY!" Another girl with an impressive head of curly blonde hair stood up closer to the front waving her hands in their direction. She was absolutely beautiful; Roland had to ensure his jaw was not left behind on the floor behind as he beheld her.

"Ruby over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Oh, sorry guys, I gotta go! Maybe I'll see you all after the ceremony!"

With that she rushed off towards the sister, Roland glanced towards her and sighed as he realized she had only saved one seat.

"Let's find a spot quick before they fill up," Olivia glanced around the room before dragging Roland behind her, leaving Jaune standing confused in the door way. "Ezzy! She shouted to an auburn haired girl in the back row. The girl turned around, her look of confusion turning to a smile as she spotted them.

"Olivia! What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at Bastion another year."

"Change of plans! Sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you before you dropped off the grid! How did I not find you on the airship?" She turned to Roland and pulled the girl to her feet. "Ezzy this is Roland, just met off the ship here. Roland, this is Ezzy, well Esmerelda, but you can call her Ezzy for short. We studied together at Bastion Academy. She is wicked good with a sword."

"A pleasure to meet you," Roland shook her hand, trying to mask his surprise at the strong grip.

 _Is everyone at this school this strong?_

The rapid sound of footsteps drew Roland's attention while Olivia and Ezzy continued talking. A young man practically threw himself into the room as the doors closed.

The newcomer had brown hair buzzed short; he was dressed in a thick deep blue trench coat that looked like something a military commander would wear. A thick leather vest could be seen beneath the coat, there was no weapon in sight. He had long black dress pants and boots, all of which were covered in a thin layer of soot similar to how Ruby had been earlier.

 _Was he been caught in the explosion as well?_ Roland surmised aside from his haggard breathing which led him to believe the man had been running for quite a ways further.

"Sorry," he gasped for air. "Got held up at the Headmaster's office, he didn't even offer a ride here. Did I miss the opening ceremony?"

"Held up?" Roland could not resist his gut reaction at humor. "I hope they didn't take your wallet." He quickly changed his tone upon realizing the narrowing eyes of annoyance. "No, they are still…"

As if on cue a bell rang through the hall, silencing the various conversations echoing throughout as a man with a cane approached the podium.

"I will keep this brief," Professor Ozpin began, heralding the beginning of a new year at Beacon Academy.

 **This was just the first short chapter introducing the new characters. I will continue as long as the ideas flow. Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	2. A Grimm Situation

**Chapter 2 of RWBY Heroes…..Initiation begins.**

Horatio rolled out his sleeping bag, sliding it as close to the giant glass windows as was permitted. He had always found the night and a clear view of the moon oddly calming. After the opening ceremony speech from Professor Ozpin the new students had been advised that they would sleep in the ballroom to rest for the next day initiations.

The faculty had divided the room up with the women sleeping on one half and men on the other. Night had fallen and already nearly everyone was set up with rows of sleeping bags spanning the room.

Horatio grumbled as he prepared for bed, he had been unprepared to sleep in such a public area, all he had available on hand were his lounge pants covered in ducks. Thankfully no one pointed them out as it seemed Jaune's Bunny pajamas had drawn off their attention, he would have to thank him for that later.

"Nice ducks," the snide remark had come from Roland whom Horatio had set up beside. He had to admit the guy was cordial enough, yet noticed that Roland never seemed to stop making jokes or trying to make others laugh. It was a quality he both found admirable and simultaneously made him want to knock him through a wall.

"This coming from the guy with hearts all over his pants," Horatio retorted, grabbing the enrollee in a friendly headlock. After a few seconds of pointless thrashing, Roland threw in the towel and was released.

"Aren't you nervous at all?" Roland finally asked, leaning back on his makeshift bed. "I mean we'll be doing who knows what in the forest tomorrow, our whole huntsman careers may hinge on our actions."

"Can't be nervous," he answered quickly. "That can cause hesitation and that would just improve the chances of making a mistake."

"Or prevent you from making one." Horatio glared sideways at him, eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"I mean, the Huntsmen in the stories never hesitated. If they had, things wouldn't have ended so well for everyone. At least that's how the old tales show it."

Roland only nodded, he supposed everyone in the room must've looked up to someone in the fairy tales of huntsman and huntresses, why else would they be there?

"I saw your shield, magnificent craftsmanship. I bet you could stop an Ursa Major in its tracks with that."

"That depends on the person holding it, everyone here has been so strong. I became a huntsman to protect people; I have a long way to go to keep up."

"Don't worry," Horatio reached over and gripped Roland by the shoulders, pulling him awkwardly close. "I will train you myself! With me showing the way you'll be ripped in no time. You may even be able to stop a punch from that Yang girl."

Roland blushed at the mention of Ruby's sister, turning away to hide it from him.

"That's gotta be the best punch…line I've ever heard," he replied after composing himself, turning back to Horatio with a huge grin on his face.

Horatio face palmed with his free hand.

"What did you just say?"

Roland turned around, his eyes shooting out of his head. Standing over him was none other than Yang Xiao Long; she was wearing her pajamas including an orange t-shirt with a flaming heart and black shorts.

 _Oh god, I hope she didn't take that as a crack against her fighting ability! From what Ruby told us she is one of the strongest people here and good lord how does she keep her hair so curly the whole day long!?_

"Well," Roland stuttered tying to compose himself before his brain got further off track, Horatio slowly backing away." I just thought that, you know, him thinking I can take a punch from you was the best punch…line I've ever heard."

Yang glared at him intently, inching closer to his face, Roland started flinching back, preparing for the swing.

"I'm surprised you are familiar with punchlines," she replied at length. "I thought only boxers enjoyed those."

Roland stopped flinching, a look of restrained jubilation and realization washing over his face.

 _No way, does she…only one way to be certain._

"Nah, BOXERS make the worst punchlines, they are always keeping the jokes too BRIEFS." Roland stared her down, suppressing a smirk and maintaining his serious look with all his willpower.

"Don't say that, sometimes the brief punchlines ones can be the biggest hits." Yang held her ground, raising a single eyebrow in challenge.

"Really? I felt the brief ones mostly came up a bit…short." Roland crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in return.

"Well expecting good ones every time can be a bit of a…tall order."

Horatio had backed to what he felt was a safe distance, he barely noticed Ruby come up beside him, a horrified expression locked on her face.

"What has your friend done?" She asked, unable to look away from the spectacle before them. As soon as one completed a horrific pun the other picked it up and kept running.

"I don't know," Horatio replied, also unable to look away from them, his left eyebrow twitching sporadically.

"She will never stop you know, your friend is doomed."

"I'm more impressed there are so many bad jokes about punching and underwear."

"So was I….long ago." Ruby and Horatio turned to each other before both started chuckling; the whole scene was utterly ridiculous.

"Olivia still keeping you up?"

"Nah, she and Esmerelda both went to sleep already. It was really nice talking with her though. I can't believe there is someone else as interested in unique weapons as I am."

"I must be the most boring person ever then," Horatio laughed, remembering the blank stare of shock on Ruby's face when she realized he only fought with his bare hands.

"Pffft, no," Ruby shouted awkwardly. I just never heard a Huntsman or Huntress ever going COMPLETELY without weapons. Even Yang uses her gauntlets; don't your punches hurt after a while?"

Horatio stared down at his hands, clenching his fists tightly.

"I can't remember the last time they hurt."

"Well if you just studied more about fighting you'd make a bigger splash!" Yang shouted. Despite how loud she was, Horatio thought she looked like she was having the time of her life.

"I read plenty! Though I tend to find the material a little dry!" Roland threw back; Horatio and Ruby had to physically restrain a groan.

"Can you all just go to sleep already?" The white haired girl from earlier shouted. Horatio had pointed out to Roland and the others that she was none other than Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation.

And so it was that the legend was born of how it took the heiress to one of the strongest families in the world so stop the grand pun war that was sure to have been the downfall of all Remnant.

 **The Next Morning...**

The Sun was rising into the sky as the new students stood on a hillside overlooking the Emerald Forest below. Olivia yawned as she took her place on one of the metal platforms lined up along the edge, there was one for each student. Everyone had just finished prepping their gear from the lockers and were ready to go. She had spent the downtime getting to know others in the locker room prior to their departure.

Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren were two that she found absolutely adorable. They were inseparable despite Nora's hyper cheerful nature and Ren's quiet demeanor. If red strings of fate actually existed she imagined there would be a giant red lasso connecting the two. She felt especially close as they were orphans like her. Ren was decked out in a green tailed coat; she tried to spot his weapons but only caught a glimpse of two pistols disappearing into his sleeves.

Nora was the embodiment of the color pink which consisted of her combat skirt and gloves. She had a white top with a heart-shape cut out of the chest. On her back was slung a huge grenade launcher that looked like it weighed more than she did.

Olivia's sleeping bag had been set up next to a raven-haired girl named Blake Belladonna. Blake was quiet but seemed nice. Of course she had to be nice and say hello, but every time Olivia saw her relaxing the previous night she had a book in her hands. She'd never met a bad well-read person in her life and the black bow she kept in her hair at all times was adorable. Blake did seem a bit over protective of her books, however, she had caught Blake reading under the covers with a flashlight and when asked the name of the book she only turned off the light and pretended to be sleeping.

Pyrrha Nikos…THE Pyrrha Nikos, Ms. Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes herself was in their class. Olivia knew her from the cereal but Ezzy had practically worshiped her for her performance during the last Mistral Regional Tournament. She still wore the same strapless bronze armor and combat mini-skirt she had in all her matches.

 _How many times did she force me to re-watch her fights? I'm surprised Ezzy didn't copy her javelin and shield style of combat._

She liked Roland and Horatio of course, the two had been so nice since meeting each of them. The only guys she had seen that she steered clear from were four that seemed to hang around together, did they know each other? The only one of the four whose name she had overheard was Cardin, they had locked eyes once and he gave her a look she could only describe as 'creep.'

Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch were together again explaining the situation to everyone. The professor had a coffee mug in his hand she had scarcely seen him without.

 _How much coffee can one man drink?_

The situation seemed straightforward enough, evaluating our skills in the forest, assigning teams today, working with someone who best suits us and we can work with.

 _Please don't be any of those four guys_

"That being said," Professor Ozpin explained. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

 _Wait what was that last part?_

"What?" Olivia and Ruby from her platform shouted simultaneously.

"Make your way to the northern end of the forest, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."

"No pressure though," Olivia whispered sarcastically to Ezzy looking as serious looking as ever.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics," Ozpin continued. "Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard your item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yea, um sir?" Jaune at the end of the line sheepishly called out.

"Good, now take your positions." Ozpin shouted, disregarding Jaune's raised hand.

Weiss was the first to fire, her platform propelling her like a catapult over the cliff towards the forest, she was beyond sight in an instant.

"Uh sir," Jaune continued. "I've got um, a question. This landing strategy thing…wh-what is it? You're like dropping us off or something?"

"No…you will be falling."

Olivia knelt down, planting her hands on the ground to prepare for her platform to fire. She could not help but notice Jaune lock his eyes with Ozpin, afraid to look left as the platforms continued to fire. Ren, Nora and the four creeps had already left.

 _Poor Jaune, I hope he lands in a Grimm-light section of the forest._

Horatio gave thumbs up as his platform fired. He had not taken any special stance and his huge grin was the last thing they saw as he went sailing off, straightening his body like a spear before he left sight.

"Oh I see, so like did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"Parachutes? Are you kid…?" Was the last Esmerelda could say before her platform fired, catching her at the exact moment her composure broke at Jaune's words.

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy," Ozpin took another sip of his coffee.

Yang was next, donning a pair of sunglasses she winked at her sister Ruby, throwing a sly smile Roland's way before she was sent flying.

"Well, aren't you going to follow her after that invitation?" Olivia could not contain the smile as she asked him.

"What do you mean by tha-" Roland attempted to ask before he was sent hurtling towards the forest, Ruby close behind.

Olivia glanced back to Jaune, he finally broke eye contact with Ozpin to look at her, his face full of confusion and growing fear.

"See you on the ground Jaune, watch the trees."

Olivia's platform fired, she thrust her fists forward immediately, acting like she was flying through the air under her own powers like the super heroes she loved to read about. The wind flowed past her face, forcing her to keep her eyes open as the forest drew ever closer.

 _Gonna need some good timing on this._

Olivia flipped the rifle from her back, clutching it tight to her to cut down wind resistance. Behind her she could vaguely hear the cries of Jaune catching up, he was traveling surprisingly fast despite having no form and was pin wheeling toward the trees.

 _Aaaaannnnd….NOW!_

Olivia extended her rifle, catching it on the tip of the tallest tree near her without many branches. Gripping it with both hands at the butt and barrel while keeping the tree in the middle she pivoted her body, causing her to corkscrew down the tree. Even with this technique she was coming in quite fast as she neared the forest floor. Before she would have impacted she released a single hand, sending her flying off towards a nearby Pine Tree, more than enough room to grab a hanging branch and spin gracefully until her momentum had decreased. Dropping to the forest floor she fell into a crouch, eyeing left and right, her rifle in hand.

"Time to get to work," Olivia whispered with a smile, smearing a line of camouflage make-up across her face as she disappeared into the brush.

 **Elsewhere...**

Horatio kept his hands at his sides, flying faster than he ever thought possible. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, opening them for fractions of a second at a time to judge how near he was to the trees.

 _If this doesn't kill me nothing will._

Finally the trees were upon him, Horatio took no measures to slow himself down or aim his trajectory. Mid-fall he rolled his body so that he was feet-first to the ground.

"If anyone is down there you have about 5 seconds to move out of the wa-"

Horatio slammed into the ground with incredible force. The ground thundered and all the trees in the immediate vicinity cracked and fell over forming a circle of shattered nature surrounding his landing zone. The young man brushed off the sleeves of his coat, completely unharmed. He started jumping up and down, shaking off the feeling of pins and needles assaulting his feet.

"Alight, find an ancient temple, grab relics, easy as cake." With that he took off running, heading north at full sprint.

 **Elsewhere, high above...**

"Whooohooooooo!" Roland screamed as he soared through the air.

Immediately after takeoff he had quickly slid his shield from his back and was now surfing through the skies. The aegis was large enough for him to stand comfortably atop it; already he had sheared the tips off several dozen trees.

 _With this momentum I can bypass most of the forest,_ he thought to himself. _Ride these waves all the way to the end._

Roland surmised fate had heard his thoughts and plotted his demise. No sooner had he thought those words that a red javelin suddenly flew past him, scrapping past his shield and scaring him half to death. The javelin did not seem to have been aimed for him, it disappeared into the trees far west, but the damage had been done.

"I'm sorry!" Shouted a girl in the distance as he plummeted to the ground with much of the momentum keeping him airborne lost.

On the forest floor, a lone Beowolf stalked an unsuspecting rabbit, rearing back on its hind legs to make the kill.

Roland flattened the Beowolf in an instant, skidding across the grass before tumbling forward, transitioning the shield to his back as he took off running.

 **Not far away...**

Esmerelda had already landed, with an expert swing of her blade she had caught the top of a tree and was now hopping from tree top to tree top. She could barely make out a hint of the stone ruins in the distance. At her current pace she would be there in no time.

"I wonder what we're supposed to do if we don't make eye contact with anyone before reaching the relics," she muttered.

A roar shattered her train of thought, she raised her sword again as she jumped.

A Nevermore emerged from the trees, an avian Grimm resembling a horrific black bird, eyes glowing red even in the sunlight. The Grimm seemed small for the species from what she'd read, this one was barely bigger than her. Time seemed to slow for her as the Nevermore struck amidst one of her jumps; she had no way of avoiding the beast before she could reach the next tree. The Grimm collided with Esmerelda, her sword barely deflecting its beak as she went tumbling to the forest floor.

 _No trees close enough to grab onto! Too far to reach even with my blade!_ Esmerelda screamed in her head as she fell, sword swinging left and right seeking something to dig into. The Grimm had knocked her into an open glade, were they supposed to be this smart or was it dumb animal luck?

The forest floor was approaching faster and faster, Esmerelda was out of alternatives. She had not planned to rely on her Aura for defense so soon, but it was the only option open to her. Focusing her will, she reinforced it with everything she could spare and squeezed her eyes tight for the impact.

The impact never came; she came to a sudden stop with a soft poof.

Hesitantly Esmerelda opened her eyes, she was being held like a princess or bride. Her eyes locked on her saviors.

"Well…can't say I was expecting this so soon," Horatio smiled. He was standing with legs firmly planted in the ground and was out of breath. He must have spotted her falling and sprinted to reach her in time.

Esmerelda was speechless though she could not say she could complain with fate's choice of who she would be spending the next four years with at Beacon.

The Nevermore dived into the glade, roaring as it rocketed in their direction ready to finish off what it saw as easy prey.

Esmerelda summersaulted out of Horatio's hands, flipping over the Nevermore as it flew lower. Her sword strike was so fast he barely noticed her arms had moved as the infant Nevermore split in half, its momentum carrying it into the bushes behind them with a thud.

"Oh you know," she smiled to her new partner as she landed gracefully atop a rock. "Just dropping in."

Horatio's smile faded as his eyes narrowed towards her.

"Don't you get started too!"

 **The initiation has commenced. The teams seek the relics and their partners at Beacon. As always, Read and Review...but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	3. Forged Bonds

**The Initiation continues as the Emerald Forest tests our Heroes.**

Roland leapt backwards, dodging the Ursa's claws. A second swing crashed against his shield, while it did no damage pain spiked through his left arm at the impact. Rolling to the side he swung his shield, bashing the Ursa in the face and sending it flying into the tree behind it. It did not get back up.

Panting heavily, Roland turned, he had already taken out three Ursa, large bear-like Grimm that towered over him, yet another five circled around.

"Well….who is next?"

The Grimm had gotten smarter, already they were looking to flank him, attacking from two sides. With a bellowing roar a single Ursa charged his front while a second rushed his back. A smile stretched across Roland's face, exactly as he'd hoped. Linking his right arm behind his shield a loud click signaled a light appearing vertically down the shield, splitting it in two.

Jumping high and flipping upside down Roland brought each half of his shield down on a different Grimm's head. The two beasts slammed into the ground with immense force, denting the stone beneath.

Spinning again Roland turned upon the next Ursa, his smile disappearing in an instant.

The beast had not been idle as he dealt with its brethren; it seemed it had lunged at the same time he'd landed the finishing blow on the other two. There was no time to dodge as it was already upon him, its face right in his in an instant.

A burst of light struck the beast in the side, blasting it away from Roland at the last possible moment. The Ursa was so close that one of its teeth scratched his cheek as the force of the blow knocked it away. Roland turned in the direction of the sound but saw nothing, one hand covering his bleeding face. Two more blasts emerged from the same direction; the remaining Ursa collapsed to the ground and did not stir again.

"Wh-who is there?" Roland asked, still panting in exhaustion. "Show yourself."

It seemed one moment no one was there then suddenly a form started approaching him.

"O-Olivia!" Roland shouted, smiling as he recognized her. "Where did you come from?"

"Wouldn't be much of a sniper if I couldn't camouflage," she chuckled with a smile, hefting her rifle across her shoulders proudly.

"It was more than that," Roland praised. "You literally came out of nowhere."

"Let's finish initiation first and maybe I'll explain it," she teased as she hopped past him. "I believe the ruins are in this direction?"

"Right," Roland pulled out a compass he always kept with him to confirm. "Straight North just like Professor Ozpin said."

"Nice moves by the way," Olivia complimented. "Fun little surprise with the shield."

Roland blushed as he reconnected the halves of his weapon back together.

"Well, shields are useless if you can get surrounded too easily. Are you hurt?" he asked upon noticing a darkened mark on her wrist.

Olivia glanced down as if she had just noticed as well.

"I guess so, must've bruised it when I landed, it's no problem."

"Come here," Roland beckoned, kneeling in front of her and holding out his hand. "I promise it will help."

Olivia looked at his curiously before slowly extending her hand. He gripped her wrist in one hand, laying his second on it with a soft squeeze.

Olivia flinched, she felt that.

A blue aura surrounded Roland's hand and extended to cover Olivia's as well. She could only look on in amazement as the pain began to fade, the bruise disappearing from her wrist until it could no longer be seen. Olivia pulled her hand back as he finished, twisting it and clenching her fist to test.

"Your semblance can heal?"

"Perhaps," he teased as he stood back up. "Let's finish initiation and maybe I'll explain it."

Olivia could barely contain a jubilant laugh as she leapt to her feet, rushing off north towards the ruins. Roland shook his head with a chuckle as he followed after his new partner, gently massaging his sore wrist.

 **Further ahead in the Forest…**

Horatio flattened another Beowolf Grimm with a single punch; Esmerelda finished it with a quick slice of her blade for good measure.

Resistance had been lessening the deeper they went into the forest. Horatio alone had taken out at least a dozen or more and Esmerelda felt she had at least almost matched him.

"Guess they aren't as dumb as they look," Esmerelda whispered to herself, realizing there were still plenty of Grimm around…they just knew better than to attack after what had happened to the others.

She had never seen anything like it. The first Grimm had barreled into him before they even heard it. Despite the ambush Horatio had not budged, instead he simply grabbed it by the wrist and slammed it into the ground like it was a ragdoll.

The rest rushed them at that point, Esmerelda had been faster and kept ahead of them but Horatio had just stood there. Esmerelda thought he was dead for sure when five Beowolves had dog-piled on top of him. Shouting his name she had rushed back to help, only for the monsters to be plucked from him and tossed one by one until he was standing alone brushing off the dirt that had accumulated over his coat. He did not have a single injury on his body. The rest had retreated as he turned to face them, cracking his knuckles with a sinister grin on his face.

"That is quite the trick."

"No trick," Horatio remarked as they pushed through a dense brush. "Just strength and physics. No matter how heavy a Grimm is you just need the right leverage and sufficient strength."

"No…that girl Nora is just strength," Esmerelda pointed out. "You are a walking cheat code at this point. Are you even winded?"

Horatio shook his head as he brought a finger to his lips signaling silence. Esmerelda peaked through the trees in the direction he was looking.

A stone wall could be seen not far. It appeared that the building had once been a circular tower or maybe a rotunda however now much of it had collapsed and it was open to the elements.

"This is ancient," Horatio mused as he walked towards the ruins. "Before the invention of modern technology such places were mankind's only defense against the Grimm."

"You study history?"

"I dabble," Horatio chuckled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "If we are to defeat the Grimm we must know them and their past."

They approached the ruin cautiously taking note of everything they saw. The interior was empty save for pedestals lined up along the circular curve of the tower. Small objects sat upon each one, some were missing and empty.

"Chess pieces?" Esmerelda asked as she looked closer. "Think these are the relics Professor Ozpin sent us for?"

"Must be," Horatio agreed. "I guess we have to pick one…got any preferences?"

Esmerelda looked around at the pieces remaining.

"I was always partial to the queen…seems she's not an option though."

"Nor the king," he sighed, realizing that neither piece were remaining. "I have been partial to knights however."

The two approached a pedestal containing a black knight chess piece.

"Ladies first," Horatio motioned towards the piece.

Esmerelda picked it up, looking it over carefully as if expecting it to explode at any moment.

"Heeeeyyyyyy! A familiar voice called out. "Glad to see we're not the only ones to make it!"

Yang Xiao Long came up over the nearby hill waving with the biggest grin on her face. The girl reading the previous night…Blake Belladonna she thought her name was came up behind her.

"Great work! Getting out of here with the relics will be a snap working together," Esmerelda pointed out.

Yang and Blake walked around, admiring the stone ruins as much as they had. Finally they approached the relic pedestals.

"Some of them are missing, I guess you guys weren't the first ones here," Yang pointed out.

Blake nodded as they glanced around the remaining pieces.

"How about a cute little pony?" Ruby's golden-haired sister asked, holding up a white knight chess piece opposite the one Esmerelda had chosen.

"Sure," Blake replied with a smile. Yang's cheerful nature was inescapable.

"….that's a horse," Esmerelda pointed out dryly…apparently it was not as inescapable as they thought.

"We can have a matching set," Horatio remarked, pointing to the black knight piece in Esmerelda's hands.

"Think we should wait for others and stick together or head out now?" Esmerelda asked.

"I wouldn't advise waiting long," Blake jumped in. "The Grimm were rather numerous in the forest, the closer to nightfall we get the more dangerous it'll be."

"Just stick near Horatio," Esmerelda chuckled. "I don't think the Grimm want a piece of him anymore."

"Ooooo that strong huh?" Yang asked, bringing her fists up. "We'll have to spar sometime, what is your preferred style?"

"I don't really…"

A loud high pitched scream of terror ripped through the air, catching all their attention despite how far away it must have been.

And in that moment absolute chaos broke out.

"Some girl is in trouble!" Yang shouted, turning in the direction of the scream.

"We have to help her!" Horatio leapt ahead.

"Out of the waaaaaaay!" Roland shouted as he burst from the nearby tree line in a full sprint. Olivia was balancing atop his shoulders unloading round after round behind them.

An entire tribe of Ursa emerged from the forest behind them, two dozen at least. They dropped one by one as Olivia's rounds struck home. Yang leapt closer and ran beside him unloading her gauntlets in the oncoming stampede's direction creating an overwhelming hail of gunfire decimating the Grimm numbers.

One of the Ursa seemed to be running over and barreling through its own allies. Upon closer inspection they could see an ecstatic Nora Valkyrie riding the Grimm and directing its movements…a terrified looking Ren barely holding on for dear life.

Olivia leapt from Roland's back, taking a defensive firing position beside Yang.

"Get the relic!" she shouted to Roland. "I'll cover you!"

Roland only nodded as he sprinted into the temple, snatching a relic from the first pedestal he found.

"Good to see you!" Horatio welcomed his friend, smashing an Ursa that got too close into a nearby wall.

"If we fall back to the temple we can set up a defensive perimeter!" Roland shouted through the nearby gunfire. "Something has the Grimm swarming."

"Iiiiiinnnncommminng!" shouted a girl from above.

Looking up, Horatio's eyes widened as none other than Ruby came hurtling towards them as if she'd fallen from the heaven's themselves. With the sun behind her and the way her cloak flowed behind her she looked to him like an angel.

"I got you!" Horatio shouted rushing beneath her his arms spread to make the catch.

"AAAHHHHHHHH" the feminine scream they had heard echoed as it seemed to grow louder.

Jaune Arc flew through the air perpendicular to Ruby; the two nearly collided in mid-air but narrowly missed. Ruby plopped safely into Horatio's arms, she was so light. Similarly, Jaune traveled another few feet before Pyrrha Nikos dove from the trees, expertly catching him in her arms and rolling gracefully into a stance a few feet away.

"Heh, my hero," Jaune joked, grinning awkwardly at Pyrrha.

"Hehe, thanks," Ruby smiled. "Um...you can let me down now.

"Oh...sorry," Horatio apologized as he lowered her back to the ground.

"Where is Weiss?"

"Ms. Schnee?" Horatio asked. "We only saw yo-"

On cue Weiss Schnee landed beside them….flattening Jaune in the process. No sooner had Pyrrha lowered Jaune to his feet had the white-haired heiress crash landed directly on top of him.

"My hero…" Weiss remarked dully, apparently quite disappointed though unharmed.

"My back…" Jaune groaned.

"How did you?..."

"Nevermore!" Esmerelda called out.

The massive winged Grimm emerged from over the cliff in the direction Ruby and Weiss had dived from. It was identical in appearance to the one Esmerelda and Horatio had dispatched only many times larger. This one was bigger than a house. To make matters worse, behind Pyrrha a Deathstalker, an enormous Scorpion-Grimm, crashed through the trees flattening all in its path in hot pursuit barreling right for Yang and Olivia's defense line.

Both women dove out of the way, neither able to stop its advance despite an admirable barrage into its thick armor. The remaining beasts on the ground scattered into the forest, the fight clearly knocked out of them.

The Nevermore dove for the group, Nora fired a barrage of grenades however most missed their mark due to the Grimm's speed. Blake and Esmerelda bounded over each wing slashing furiously in an effort to bring it down. The monstrous bird ruffled its wings, sending both women flipping away before it could catch them. The Nevermore took to the skies again, circling ahead ominously completely unharmed.

On the other side of the battlefield, with an expert pirouette Weiss drove her sword into the ground, freezing the Deathstalker in its tracks, helping her new partner Ruby to her feet. Esmerelda couldn't hear from how far she was but it looked like the two were finally talking.

The other new students came together outside the ruins. Nora and Ren had abandoned their Ursa mount, Pyrrha and Jaune were right behind them. Ruby and Weiss stood side by side, Yang and Blake bringing up the rear.

Horatio, Esmerelda, Roland and Olivia stood beside them, completing the circle. None there could contain the smiles on their faces; already they had faced so much and persevered…as a team.

"Um….guys," Jaune finally brought up. "That thing is circling back…what are we going to do?"

"There is no sense dilly dallying," Weiss replied.

"Our objective is right here," Ruby announced, pointing at the remaining relics. "We have to get a relic and escape…there is no sense fighting these things, I doubt there is an end to them here."

"Run and live…." Jaune smirked. "That is an idea I can get behind."

Triumphantly Jaune and Ruby approached the ruins, collecting a white rook and knight piece respectively.

 _But if we don't fight,_ Horatio thought to himself, _how will we one day be rid of the Grim?_

Beside him, Roland glanced down; silently he slipped the Black Knight chess piece he had nabbed from the temple into his side pocket.

Ruby glanced around the party, nodding at each as she counted that every team had claimed a relic.

"Let's go," she commanded, standing on a small rock placing her above everyone there. With her red cloak fluttering in the wind she started running north to the forest exit.

Yang stood and looked at her little sister, a proud smile etched onto her face.

"What is it?" Blake asked, concerned for her partner's lack of movement as the others chased after Ruby.

"Nothing," she smiled as she jogged after the rest. Roland ran alongside her.

"Siblings…they can't stay little forever can they?" He didn't even look at her as he spoke.

"You the big brother?"

"Spot on, "he chuckled. "Twin sisters, Cinnamon and Casey…gotta watch out for em you know? They wanted to join Beacon in a few years when they are old enough."

"Cinnamon...She sounds sweet." Yang remarked as she sped off to catch up with the others.

"Hey!" Roland shouted, rushing to keep up. "You can't have the last word! Do you have any ideas how many sweet lines I have!?"

Overhead the shadow of the Nevermore pursued the students…seeking the perfect location to strike. The ice holding the Deathstalker began to crack...and a rumbling sound far larger than any known Ursa could be heard from the forest beyond…

 **The students rush to the edge of the forest with Grimm in pursuit…stay tuned!**


	4. Initiation Woes

**Ruby Rose and the other students rush to escape the Emerald Forest pursued by the monsters within…**

The students raced forward keeping together as a single group which seemed to be all that caused the Nevermore pause when pursuing them. Those that had long range weapons flanked the sides while anyone with strictly melee weapons took the front and rear. They knew it was not far to the end of the forest, an ancient path of pillars led the way to the bridge that would lead past a crumbling tower into the cliffs and freedom.

The Nevermore made another swooping pass forcing them to take cover. Yang, Olivia and Ren all unloaded a hail of fire into the Grimm with seemingly little effect. The monstrous bird pulled up and perched itself atop the tower across the bridge, its roar piercing their ears.

"Well that's great," Yang mused; the Grimm had cut off their only escape route.

"If he wants to just sit there he can be my guest," Olivia proclaimed as she lined up her scope and trained it on the Grimm. Her first shot ricocheted off the Grimm's beak, doing little more than annoying it.

She did not have time for a second as the now-freed Death Stalker smashed through the trees behind heading straight for them.

"Oh man RUN!" Jaune shouted, Pyrrah and the rest following suit behind him in a mad sprint for the bridge.

The Nevermore spread its wings and in an instant hundreds of javelin-like feathers fired in their direction. It was everything the students could do to avoid them.

Roland rushed to the front, shield in hand. The feathers impacted it one by one and bounced off harmlessly.

"Stay behind me!" he shouted as he ran across the narrow walkway, tilting his shield to try and catch as many feathers the Nevermore attempted to fire over him.

"Nora distract it!" Ren ordered as they ran.

With an eerily cheerful yet sinister smile Nora spun her grenade launcher around and proceeded to fire at the Nevermore. After three rounds erupted into a pink explosion right in its face the Nevermore relented and flew off, circling for another attack.

Horatio led the others as they ran. Pyrrah, Ren and Olivia attempted to repel the Death Stalker; however it merely skittered through their gunfire bouncing off its armor.

"Go go go!" Horatio shouted, turning to face the Grimm.

With a powerful leap Horatio landed behind the Death Stalker. Planting his feet he grabbed it by the tail, holding it in place.

The Grimm roared and flailed but could not move, the stonework cracked as Horatio held strong, the tip of its tail whipping back and forth attempting to swat him.

"What are you doing?" Roland called back, rushing to assist with the Death Stalker.

"Wait!" Yang called out, turning towards him.

"Keep going!" Roland shouted back. "Ruby will need backup!"

While the scorpion-Grimm was trapped Ren, Pyrrah, Olivia, and Nora had proceeded to fire everything in their arsenal into it. Esmerelda and Blake were expertly jumping around it, slashing at its underbelly with their blades.

Ruby and Weiss were further ahead near the tower. They could barely be seen but appeared to be fighting the Nevermore and keeping it from attacking the rest. Yang hurried ahead to help her sister.

Horatio gritted his teeth, his muscles straining. He had the strength but physics were not on his side. Realizing it could not pull free the Death Stalker instead simply lifted Horatio off the ground by its tail, his shoes providing no grip. With a single flick Horatio lost his hold and was sent hurtling into the smashed tree line.

"Help Horatio, we will handle this!" Pyrrah shouted as she, Blake, Jaune, Ren and Nora continued attacking the Death Stalker.

Roland nodded to Esmerelda and Olivia; quickly they hurried to the rubble where they had seen Horatio vanish.

With a cough Horatio emerged from the splintered remains, brushing off the dust and checking for injury.

"Are you insane?" Esmerelda shouted, smacking him on the arm upon realizing he was ok. "That thing could have thrown you off the cliff!"

"I would have thought of something," Horatio grinned, shrugging his arms.

"It's armor is too thick," Roland surmised. "If Nora's grenade launcher won't dent it nothing we have will."

"Then we use gravity, the thing takes up the entire ledge, if we can get enough of its legs over…"

A loud crash interrupted their thought. They never thought it was possible for the tree line to be even more destroyed but they were wrong. An immense black form emerged crushing all before it…it was nearly as tall as the Nevermore.

"I….think we found the pack leader…." Olivia sheepishly whispered.

The largest Ursa they had ever seen stood before them.

The Grimm roared, bringing its paws down on top of them.

Three of them scattered an instant before the impact but Horatio was not so lucky. He avoided the initial strike but was backhanded into a rock wall by the Ursa's follow-up. Olivia back flipped towards the bridge, taking careful aim with her rifle.

Roland and Esmerelda took up a shield formation, Roland in the front, Esmerelda in the back.

With a quick twist of the handle of her scimitar the grip extended to five feet in length. With the added length she stabbed the weapon over Roland's shield, spearing the enormous Ursa's front paw.

"A collapsible Naginata?" Roland raised his eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Ruby is going to want details on that when we are done."

The Ursa roared and swatted at her weapon with its free paw. Esmerelda withdrew it in time, moving with Roland as he shifted around the Ursa to keep it off balance. Esmerelda constantly stabbed when she saw an opening, peppering the Ursa with dozens of quick jabs.

Frustration clearly bubbling within the beast, the Ursa reared back on its legs, bringing both front paws down hard on Roland.

Roland stood his ground, if he moved there was a chance it could hit Esmerelda behind him. Clicking another latch within the shield two powerful spikes emerged beneath. With a grunt Roland drove the spikes into the ground, wedging the shield in place. Searing pain burned in his arms and legs as the Grimm smashed upon the shield again and again but the craftsmanship held strong.

Just when Roland thought his arms would snap…the Ursa stumbled, its roar now one of pain rather than anger.

The Ursa covered its left eye, a cheer of success rose from Olivia behind them. Her shot had found its mark.

"Roland! Tilt your shield and lift!"

Roland did not hesitate following Horatio's order, retracting the spikes he tilted his shield downward and rammed into the Grimm's legs as hard as he could.

Horatio charged from behind, wrapping his arms around the Grimm's ankles as tightly as he could. Planting his legs into the ground he heaved the unsteady Grimm towards Roland's shield.

Roland and Esmerelda pulled on the shield, using their legs they tilted it back with the Grimm's weight supported on it…back towards the chasm behind them.

With an echoing battle cry Horatio pushed with all his might as the others tilted the shield…the Grimm realized their plan too late.

The giant Ursa went sailing over the ledge, only just catching itself by sinking its razor sharp claws into the very rock…hanging over the precipice.

Roland had sailed over as well and was barely hanging on for dear life. Esmerelda leaned over the ledge and lowered down the grip of her Naginata for him to grab.

"It's too far!" Roland shouted, glancing at the still-hanging Ursa attempting to clamor back up the cliff side. "I can't reach it!"

The Ursa's plan did not last as a series of pinpoint shots shattered each of its talon's in turn, yet another accomplishment of their resident Sniper. The Ursa plummeted into the fog below, disappearing from sight, its final roar fading into silence.

Roland looked back up, to his amazement the handle of Esmerelda's weapon extended by another three feet, easily reaching his position. With a little effort and assistance from Horatio and Olivia above Roland was pulled to safety.

Flopping onto the cliff side, Roland gasped for air; his arms limp on the ground as feeling began to flood back into them.

"I told you," Horatio beamed, holding out his hand to help him up. "Physics…it would have worked for the Death Stalker…it worked on that thing."

"We'll have to come up with a classification name," Esmerelda had walked up beside them, her weapon back to its previous size. "That was far larger than an Ursa Major."

"I vote Uber Ursa," Olivia jumped, raising her hand as if she were already in class.

"Hmmm, I prefer Ursa Prime…but I guess we don't get the final say so."

Olivia scowled at Horatio; the look on her face was absolutely adorable.

"We need to help the others!" Roland jumped to his feet, kicking himself that he had forgotten the two other monstrous Grimm.

"Um….I think they have it well in hand." Esmerelda pointed off in the distance.

The Death Stalker was nowhere to be seen, however much of the connecting bridge had been destroyed. Jaune and Ren were passed out on the other side while Nora and Pyrrah were tending to them.

Roland's jaw hit the floor as he looked up at the cliff that had been their original destination.

Ruby was running vertically up the cliff wall using gravity runes generated by Weiss to keep her from falling. She had her Crescent Rose hooked around the neck of the Nevermore and was using her strength coupled with the force of her weapon firing again and again to literally drag the Grimm up the side of the cliff. As she reached the top she finished off her spectacle with a massive jump, decapitating the Nevermore on the spot as she cartwheeled and landed gracefully.

Horatio started clapping enthusiastically though it was doubtful Ruby could hear it from so far off. Olivia followed suit, putting her fingers in her mouth and letting out a high pitched whistle.

Roland and Esmerelda just glanced at each other, sharing a half-hearted chuckle before joining in with a slow, more controlled, round of applause.

"So um…how do we get over there?" Olivia finally asked as their applause died down, eliciting blank stares as they looked over the enormous gaps in the bridge between them and the others.

 **Several hours later…**

The students stood assembled in the main hall of Beacon Academy. Four teams in total had passed the initiation and made it back with their relics. Professor Ozpin was in the process of announcing the new teams of Huntsman and Huntresses that would be studying together the next four years.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark…the four of you recovered the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as Team CRDL lead by Cardin Winchester."

The audience clapped as Professor Ozpin bowed to the new team, all of which were standing up as straight as possible, their faces deadly serious.

Horatio breathed in deep as the next group of four took the stage, Team CRDL disappearing backstage.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrah Nikos, Nora Valkyrie…you four retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as Team JNPR lead by Jaune Arc."

The audience gave a round of applause, amplified by the student's off stage joining in, Olivia especially. Jaune looked completely flustered and bewildered that he had been chosen as the team leader.

"We're up!" she joyfully whispered as the four made their way to the stage.

"Olivia Ramus, Esmerelda Moto, Horatio Soplar and Roland Mane, the four of you recovered the black knight pieces. Going forward you shall stand together as Team HERO lead by Horatio Soplar."

Horatio blinked.

"Way to go!" Roland slapped him on the back. "Hope you got a few more tactics in your bag like today." Esmerelda and Olivia both nodded their approval as Professor Ozpin turned to them.

"Congratulations Mr. Soplar, I foresee great things for you and your team at this school."

"And finally! Black Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long….you four retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as Team RWBY lead by Ruby Rose."

"I am so proud of you!" Yang gripped her sister in a big bear hug as the audience cheered around them. Roland gave Yang a silent thumbs up, beaming the biggest smile he could muster. Weiss just stood there, shocked at the decision of their team leader.

"Congratulations," Horatio extended his hand to Ruby. "May be both exceed expectations."

"Hehe, I guess so," Ruby mumbled, shaking his hand.

As the auditorium cleared Ms. Goodwitch went on to explain to the new teams that the remainder of the day and following morning were free for them to settle in. She heavily stressed that classes would begin at 9 AM sharp and they should not be late the first day.

"Ok troops!" Olivia proclaimed once they had left the building. "Horatio may be our fearless leader in combat…but I do hereby name myself Chief Interior Decorator of our Dorms!"

Roland, Horatio and Esmerelda just stared at her, each of them more uncertain of how to react than the last.

"Can't we just see the room first and just pick a spot?" Horatio was used to the Spartan accommodations at his previous academy and saw little need for extensive personal space.

"Nonononono that won't do!" she replied, waving her finger back and forth. "If we want these to be the most memorable years of our youth we need to make sure everything is perfect….aligned…cozy."

Esmerelda was nodding along, clearly she agreed with every word Olivia said, even Roland seemed to be relenting.

"Ok, but if there are bunk beds I get dibs on the top."

"Getting a little ahead of us?" Olivia chided, clicking her tongue. "I guess we will have to proceed to the rules of the dorm ahead of schedule."

"What rules?"

A sinister smile stretched onto Olivia's face as she inched closer to him.

"The proper etiquette for rooming with members of the fairer sex."

Horatio and Roland froze, a cold sweat breaking out on their brows. Frantically they glanced left and right but Team RWBY and JNPR had already left to celebrate. The auditorium was mostly empty and those students that were left were far in the distance….there was no one left to save them...

 **Initiation has concluded and thus begins the first year at Beacon Academy….**


	5. Days Shining Gold

**So...turns out I mispelled Pyrrha's name all this time...rather embarrassing lol. Consider that error rectified going forward.**

 **Team HERO begins classes at Beacon. Friendships solidified, lessons learned.**

Roland kicked open the door to the dormitory where they would be spending the next four years. His hands were full with boxes stacked as high as his head and gave his shield a run for weight.

"Well," Roland asked as he shuffled into the room being unable to see over the boxes. "How does it look?"

"Bigger than I thought," Esmerelda summarized as she set down a set of her own boxes and a suitcase.

The room seemed rather spacious, the back wall being long enough for all four beds to be laid out and a large window in between overlooking the grounds. The beds were split two to each side of the room and a large open space between leaving more than enough room for all four of them to have their own section.

Along the sides and front wall were scattered four desks, one for each of them to claim as a work space. The shelves overlooking each desk were filled with the required reading material for the year but with enough gaps to add a personal selection.

Olivia popped inside next; wheeling in her luggage and looking over everything she could see. Her mind was already at work planning where to set up her space, she was clearly eyeing the far left corner.

"We are going to need to find something to fill this empty space," she declared, standing in the middle of the room. "A nice table or something."

Horatio brought up the rear, carrying a stack of boxes as tall as he was in each arm. The weight was nothing to him and he never minded showing off a little, but the balance was becoming… problematic.

"Move move move move move," he shouted as he shuffled in as fast as he could, lowering the first stack of boxes into the center of the room just as it seemed that they would finally topple. He had no idea how he had made it all this way without incident.

"Wow you were right," Oliva smiled, giving him a soft pat on the back. "We could get everything in one trip with only one cart."

Horatio only nodded as he carefully lowered the second pile, glancing around the room for the first time.

"Drat…I was hoping for bunk beds," he looked so disappointed.

The team got to work settling in, they left the beds as they were with Olivia and Esmerelda claiming the left two. Roland and Horatio took the ones on the right.

Horatio took no time filling up his desk and shelf with history books, leaving one protruding from the rest in preparation for his first study session. Other than that he only had his change of clothes and a large sketching pad with pencils and assorted art supplies.

"You like to draw?" Roland asked upon noticing the pad. He himself was busy laying out his Grimm and Huntsman statuettes on his chosen desk.

"Just portraits," Horatio mumbled, somewhat embarrassed. "I was never any good at landscapes or backgrounds."

"That is PERFECT!" Olivia shouted across the room, clearly having overheard. "You can do a heroic portrait of our team's first year together!"

"We can ask someone from the photography club to take our photo and you can draw it…that way you can be in it too." Esmerelda chimed in. "I met a faunus girl taking pictures at orientation….Velvet I think her name was. I am sure she would do it."

Esmerelda finished putting up a poster above her bed which depicted a red and blue helmet smashing into each other.

"Ruby vs Sapphire?" Roland squinted as he read the title. "Never heard of that show."

"That's because you are uncultured," she replied before turning to set up the sheets on her bed. Her tone was so completely unchanged from normal it took Roland a moment to realize what she had said.

"Hey!"

They all took the time to set up everything they could want. Roland had set up a wall plaque upon which he mounted his shield for when he was not using it. While the others were busy with their own decorations he silently slid a wooden case under his bed, surrounding it with his camping equipment for good measure.

The morning seemed to fly by but eventually they were done, proudly they all stood back at the entrance and surveyed their dorm.

"Splendid work for day one people," Olivia congratulated. "Feel free to spruce it up as the years go on."

"I wonder how the other team's setups are going," Horatio thought as he adjusted his bed's angle slightly to perfectly line up with the bed. It was the little details that got to him most.

"We should have a dorm warming party!"

"Don't you mean a…..dorming party?" Roland barely finished before Esmerelda smacked him upside the head.

"Save it for Ms. Xiao Long," she muttered, the others chuckling behind them.

The first room they stopped as was their next door neighbors, Team RWBY.

If the little details had Horatio annoyed before, Roland was certain he would have been having a heart attack right about now.

The room was the definition of organized chaos. The beds had been haphazardly re-purposed into bunkbeds with the first being stacked on top of each other using books as the base while the other appeared to be tied to the ceiling with rope dangling above the bottom bed. The drapes appeared to have been sliced in half and then sewn back together. Books and assorted suitcases were scattered everywhere.

"I fear both the fire and overall safety hazards of this room have increased exponentially," Horatio whispered to Olivia as team RWBY rushed to the door to greet them.

"Hellooooo new friends!" Ruby bounced over shouting melodiously.

"Hiya Ruby," Horatio waved awkwardly. He could not help but smile anytime she was in the room. "Glad to see you are….settling in."

"Thanks! I can't believe how well things went, way better than expected."

 _This is way better?_

Esmerelda was eyeing Yang's Achieve Men poster hanging above her bed. Silently she gave her a huge thumbs up, stars in her eyes.

Horatio looked at the poster too…but began shivering with restrained fervor. The poster was tilted to the side…just enough to notice. He held up his scroll to use as a level, trying to determine the exact adjustment required to make it perfectly aligned with the bed.

"Whoa, I think you forgot to adjust the time on your scroll for the flight here," Olivia pointed out, appearing behind him like some ghostly specter." Gotta push it ahead an hour to 8:55.

"8:55!" Weiss shouted, jumping to her feet. "Our first class is at 9 you dunces!"

 **In the main Square…**

Professor Ozpin sipped his coffee as he stopped to allow the stampede to pass. He could not remember the last time he had seen twelve students across three teams sprint so fast down the streets. Team JNPR, RWBY and HERO all were making a mad dash for the main lecture building.

Ozpin allowed himself some level of enjoyment from watching the exasperated students, a thin smile formed on his lips as he took another sip.

"Is everything alright sir?" Glynda Goodwitch asked, approaching from behind and spotting the students.

"Quite," Ozpin replied. "At their impressive rate of speed and the distance to cover they should make it in time provided they don't run into any Grimm along the way."

Ozpin paused after finishing as if he had just heard himself speak and had to think over what he had said.

"Perhaps I will have an instructor work that question into a mathematics lesson for the next curriculum."

"They were expressly advised to be present before 9," Ms. Goodwitch chastised, shaking her head in disappointment. "And all three teams…"

"They will make it," Ozpin reassured. "I do believe that was team HERO, weren't they the ones who encountered a new species of Ursa during initiation?"

Ms. Goodwitch produced a folder seemingly from nowhere and started to read.

"Indeed, a species in the same genus as Ursa, however surpassing an Ursa Major…speed and size approximately three to five times normal…was incredibly resistant to a bladed weapon. Preferred method of elimination appears to be gravity. Despite the Grimm's clear advantage Team HERO managed to dispatch the Grimm by…throwing it over a cliff. Potential names brought forth by Team HERO during debriefing include Ursa Prime and….Uber Ursa…"

"With the additional weight and size that is a considerable achievement."

"According to the report they used Mr. Mane's shield as leverage and a push from Mr. Soplar."

"Mr. Soplar," Ozpin furrowed his brow. "What an intriguing young man."

"Whatever his semblance may be, he has taken considerable punishment and has emerged seemingly unscathed each time. The hit from the Ursa alone should have at the very least shattered his aura."

"And my attack should have done far worse. For now we should not pry. Let them have their time of innocence in the sun, for they don't yet comprehend what awaits them after graduation."

Ozpin took another sip, deciding not to tell Ms. Goodwitch he had already finished his coffee.

 **Professor Port's Class…**

"Yes…the creatures of Grimm have many names," Professor Port continued. "But I merely refer to them as prey!"

He paused for dramatic effect, but the class just looked on, absolute silence filling the room.

Horatio groaned as the professor continued on another lengthy anecdote of his past. He knew the semester would start off slow…but still he wanted to learn SOMETHING. If Professor Port had once been a legendary Huntsman his prime years must have been well behind him. He had developed quite the belly and sported an impressive white mustache.

Slowly moving towards his pencil, Horatio started sketching the classroom starting with Professor Port. Ruby had the same idea; glancing over her shoulder he noticed her own drawing depicting the Professor. It seemed to mostly consist of a circle for his body with stink lines coming off the shoulders. Her artistic fortitude notwithstanding…she also appeared to be incredibly skilled; somehow she had managed to balance a book and an apple on the tip of a pencil as a joke to Weiss and Yang. He had to stifle a laugh.

Esmerelda elbowed him, she was one of the few listening to the professor's every word, no doubt she had been raised on his exploits and was a little smitten with the legend.

Smirking as a thought entered his head Horatio started his drawing over. He sketched the Professor again, this time in a better light; he had the rough outline done in a matter of seconds.

"You can keep this," he whispered, sliding the paper over.

Esmerelda's face turned a bright shade of crimson, the first time he had seen a reaction from her.

He had drawn Professor Port, only his physique was quite defined with a six-pack and large muscles visible through his vest and about thirty years shaved off. He had one leg up on a rock standing dramatically and was giving her a wink.

Esmerelda hit him again, though Horatio could not help but notice she still kept the drawing.

"So…who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Horatio snapped back to the class.

 _O no, he asked a question, what traits did he mention?_

Horatio raised his hand instinctively at the same time as Weiss in the front row.

"I do sir," they announced simultaneously.

"Ah, two fine hunters in my class," Port stood up straight, a smile barely visible behind his great white mustache. "Very well then, both of you to the front and face your opponent."

Horatio had no idea how he had missed the cage situated at the front of the classroom, great red eyes staring back at them growling menacingly.

He smiled at Weiss as he stood beside her on the platform before the rest of the class. She did not reciprocate; she looked like she was ready to rip his head off.

"Whatever it is, I can keep it busy while you can hit it from behind," he started before realizing Weiss was gritting her teeth. She was certainly upset about something. "Or…whatever you think is best," he sheepishly followed up, taking a step back.

"Fight well!" Blake shouted, waving a Team RWBY flag Horatio made a mental note to ask where she got.

"Go Weiss!" Yang shouted.

"Kick its butt!" Olivia shouted in the back.

"Represent Team RWBY!" Ruby jumped, excitedly clapping for Weiss.

"Would you let me concentrate!?" Weiss snapped back, causing Ruby to shirk back, frowning as she took her seat again.

 _Is she still upset Ruby was made team leader?_ Horatio thought. Olivia had pointed out she could tell Weiss was none too pleased at being passed over for a leadership role…but to be letting it get to her like this…

"Let the match…begin!" Professor Port exclaimed, shattering the lock on the cage with his Blunderbuss Axe weapon.

The moment the gate fell to the ground the Grimm attacked. It was a Boarbatusk, as the name suggested it was a Grimm in the shape of a Boar though larger and clearly none too happy at having been trapped in the cage.

The Boarbatusk charged them head-on; Weiss cartwheeled out of the way, covering her escape with a glyph meant to stop the Grimm in its tracks.

Horatio made the glyph unnecessary, charging to meet the Boarbatusk the two collided with a crash. Horatio managed to get a grip on both of the white tusks that made up its mask. The two vied for supremacy, neither giving an inch.

"You got this Horatio!" Olivia jumped up in the back row. "This is nothing!"

Esmerelda was on her feet, throwing ghost punches as if she was fighting the Grimm alongside him.

"Remember leverage!" Roland shouted, remembering the advice that had saved them on the bridge. "Physics!"

Weiss skirted around the two, spinning like a dancer she formed a glyph beneath the Boarbatusk, turning the floor beneath it to ice.

The Grimm began to lose ground, unfortunately the ice continued to spread, passing under Horatio's feet.

In an instant the Grimm curled and started spinning rapidly like a pinwheel, forcing Horatio to release his grip on its tusks. Taking a step back he could find no footing on the ice and slipped, the Boarbatusk slamming into him and sending him flying backwards.

"Teamwork is necessary with multiple huntsman and huntresses!" Port shouted from the sidelines. "Act alone and you halve your chance of victory!"

Weiss catapulted over the Grimm, forming a gravity rune in mid-air and lunged. Her sword skidded off the Grimm's armored back, parrying her to the side.

"Aim for its belly! It has no armor there!" Ruby had her arms in the air, cheering once again.

Weiss turned; ready to berate the young girl for interrupting her again but Horatio stepped in first.

"Thanks!" he shouted, running between Weiss and Ruby, breaking the heiress' concentration and snapping her back to the battle. "Weiss, the final blow is yours!"

Horatio took a running dive, sliding along the ice like he had as a child with his friends. Building up momentum he slammed into the Boarbatusk's legs, clipping the Grimm's stubby legs out from under it and sending it tumbling forward onto its back.

Weiss did not hesitate, summoning another gravity glyph directly above it she dove straight down, impaling the Grimm through the stomach. It twitched a few more times and stopped moving.

The class erupted in cheers, loudest among them being Team HERO and RWBY.

Horatio struck a pose still lying on his side, resting his head on his arm as he smiled and waved to the class. Weiss simply stormed off as class let out with the conclusion of the lesson.

"I'll catch up with you guys," Horatio said quickly as he passed them on the way out. "I'll see at at Oobleck's class."

Roland barely opened his mouth to speak and Horatio was already gone, pursuing where he had seen Weiss vanish.

He caught up to the heiress near the fountain; she seemed to be storming towards the faculty building, still fuming from ear to ear.

"Ms. Schnee…..Weiss" he corrected, trying to be less formal. The mention of her first name caused her to stop in her tracks. "What's wrong, we just won against a Grimm in front of the entire class and you look like someone just insulted you to your face."

"I….am insulted," she answered at length, spinning to look him in the face. "How Professor Ozpin could choose that Ruby girl as team leader is beyond me. She doesn't have half my training, discipline or grace in battle. She acts like a child and is utterly ridiculous!"

 _She really wanted to vent that. Olivia was right…I owe her a meal._

"From what I've seen, strength and prowess in combat does not necessarily a good leader make. No offense intended. Just because you weren't chosen as leader doesn't mean your skills aren't recognized."

"That's easy for you to say, you were chosen to lead your team."

"You think I don't wonder why he chose me?" Horatio fired back. "Sure, my aura lets me take on Grimm head on but that's it…I am a frontline fighter…nothing more."

Weiss' demeanor softened as he went on, she could clearly see the emotion in his eyes. Horatio sat down on the fountain, Weiss taking a seat beside him.

"I always imagined I would be an unexpected trump card, smashing my way through Grimm until someone else came up with a plan to win the day. But Professor Ozpin saw something in me worth more than that. He sees something in each of us."

"I…suppose…." Weiss relented, crossing her arms indignantly.

"All I mean is…if JNPR can give Jaune a chance….and HERO is giving me one….give Ruby a chance…she might surprise you." He extended his hand toward her.

Weiss smiled back, she still looked upset but at least she wasn't lashing out at her fellow students. She took his hand as they stood up together.

"I hear the next class is supposed to be interesting," Weiss started. "Professor Peach will be teaching us various herbs effective at paralyzing Grimm.

The weeks passed at Beacon Academy, classes came and went. The days shined like gold that year, every step they took seemed to ascend higher and better than the last.

Ruby and Weiss had become fast friends; Blake even seemed livelier than she had been. Yang was always Yang.

Roland tried to keep it secret that he and Yang started hanging out between classes. Olivia caught them sparring near the forest during one of her excursions to find new Grimm species. Esmerelda and Olivia took every opportunity they could to tease him about it but they were happy for him. They were absolutely adorable together.

Horatio had been true to his word, every morning at 4 AM sharp he would wake up Roland under cover of night and go training with him. Yang may be helping him with combat, but Horatio worked to improve his physique. Though there were mornings Roland wished he would just sleep in.

After a lap or two around the entire school they would hit the gym, Horatio spotting Roland and acting as his personal trainer.

"You can do it!" Horatio would shout as Roland attempted to complete another set of heavy weights. "Keep going little man or else Yang won't want to have anything to do with you!"

Roland shot a death glare at him.

"Sorry…sorry," he apologized. "Blame my instructors at Sanctum…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In all seriousness keep this up and you'll be able to take a barrage from Yang with that shield if you should ever earn her ire."

Roland completed his latest reps, slamming the weights back onto the rack as he reached for a towel.

The two started to head out as Team CRDL entered. The two had learned their workout routine and tried to make sure not to be around when they arrived. Based on how empty the gym was at that hour it seems they weren't the only ones.

Team CRDL had become known as the bullies on campus, especially their leader Cardin Winchester. Horatio had never been around when they pulled their stunts but he had heard. Jaune especially had taken the brunt of their notice due to his lower combat skill compared to most others. Horatio had welcomed Jaune in on their workout sessions but he rarely came to the gym. He would be meeting them for their jog after class.

"Later losers," Cardin muttered under his breath as they passed. Per usual they simply ignored him, he wasn't worth it.

They returned to the dorm, making sure to be quiet as it was still quite early. Roland collapsed into his bed and was usually asleep within seconds.

Horatio took a seat on his own and pulled out his sketch pad. He had a photo taped above his bed that he glanced back and forth as he drew using what little light shown through the window.

The photo portrayed Team JNPR, RWBY and HERO standing together by the fountain outside. They were all smiling and arranged so that everyone had their place. Ren and Nora were together on the left side, Nora holding Ren's arm and pulling him close. Jaune and Pyrrha were beside them, Jaune looking like he had no idea what to do with his arms, Pyrrha standing closer to him than Horatio had originally realized.

Blake and Yang were kneeling beside each other in the center front flanking Ruby and Weiss. Weiss was her usual stoic self with arms crossed, Ruby had one arm around Weiss and the other raised in the air balled into a fist.

Horatio smiled as he started drawing her.

Team HERO took up the right side, Horatio in the center, his hands in his pockets giving a confident closed-mouth smile. Roland was kneeling with Olivia leaning on his shield. Olivia had her sniper rifle at her side standing on its end pointing at the sky. Esmerelda stood beside Horatio, whether on purpose or a wonderful accident she had flipped her hair at the moment of the photo, the wind having caught it beautifully.

Velvet, a 2nd year Rabbit Faunus Huntress had taken the photo. She had brown hair with her rabbit ears matching in color. Horatio tried not to stare when he saw her but they were absolutely adorable, he hoped he did not offend her. There were few students kinder than her that Horatio had met. A little timid, but with a good heart, photography was her hobby as she was often seen taking photos during training sessions for the Beacon Academy Paper. Horatio never missed an issue.

"So, are these workouts how you attained your ungodly strength?" Roland whispered, startling Horatio. He was not often still awake after getting back

"At first," he whispered back, hoping to not wake the girls. "I did this routine every morning since I turned 10…working my way up the reps and weight of course," he chuckled. "My aura unlocked like anyone else's one day…boring story."

Roland did not push the question; the hesitation in Horatio's voice worried him.

"Can I see the portrait yet? It's been a while since you started right?"

"No," Horatio slid the drawing under his bed, happy with the progress he had made so far. "It's not finished."

Roland sighed, his curiosity unsated he rolled over and tried to get some sleep before morning classes.

Team RWBY, JNPR and HERO sat in the cafeteria eating their lunches. Nora was regaling them with her recurring dream of starting an Ursa-skinned rug company with Ren. Ren was just as confused as the rest at how regularly she had the strange dream.

"Just think," Esmerelda started, allowing herself to finish a bite from her plate. In a week or so the other Kingdom Representatives will be arriving for the Vytal Festival. We have to be ready."

"It'll be the first time I've gotten to see one. There was a student in Haven academy that will be there I kept in touch with during my Academy days. Arslan Altan," Roland announced proudly. "Amazingly strong, a real power house…Nora you and Yang would like her."

"You shouldn't be so excited for us to kick your butt in front of an audience," Nora replied playfully.

The Vytal Festival was a major celebration between the Kingdoms of Remnant. There would be food, festivities and most notably the Tournament pitting students from each of the Kingdom's against each other to see who was best.

"Hey, we've been working on some good team tactics too," Olivia chimed in, barely understandable through her full mouth. "Not to mention our leader is a walking wrecking ball."

"But we have the team spirit and drive to overcome all, right Jaune?"

Nora turned to Team JNPR's leader but Jaune continued picking at his food, he clearly did not hear her.

"Jaune…are you ok?" Pyrrha asked, leaning in front of him and waving her hand.

"Huh, what?" Jaune asked confused. "O yea…why?"

"Well you've barely touched your food and seem….off," Ruby muttered.

"What, I'm fine, really," Jaune reassured them.

His calm was shattered as he spotted Cardin and the others of Team CRDL sitting at a neighboring table. The four were talking with the photographer Velvet and laughing…all of them except for Velvet who looked more than a little nervous. Jaune lowered his head nervously.

Horatio didn't like it.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first day of school," Pyrrha pointed out.

"What?" Esmerelda and Olivia's eyes lit up. "This is the first we've heard of this!"

They looked over to Roland and Horatio; however they both raised their hands defensively. It was not their place to spread around Jaune's bully problem even to their own team.

Apparently Cardin had been hounding Jaune, tripping him in the hall, shoving him around, knocking books out of his hands…even going so far as to lock Jaune in one of their rocket lockers and activate its evacuation protocol.

"I didn't land that far from the school…"

"If you ever need help Jaune we are here for you," Pyrrha reassured him, laying her hand on his shoulder.

 _C'mon Jaune, take a hint. It is PAINFULLY obvious Pyrrha likes you._

Nora gasped and jumped to her feet.

"We'll break his legs!" She balled up her hands into fists and had the most adorably sinister smile.

Esmerelda gave Nora a high five; she liked the way she was thinking. If there was one thing Esmerelda could not stand it was bullies in any meaning of the word.

"It's not like he's just a jerk to me," Jaune replied, attempting to defend Cardin's actions though no one could fathom why. "He's a jerk to everyone."

"Please….stop," came a soft voice from the neighboring table.

As if to verify Jaune's statement Cardin had grabbed Velvet by her rabbit ears and was tugging on them much to the amusement of his team.

"See…I told you they were real."

Horatio's calm snapped like a twig.

"Olivia….hold my prune juice," he handed his glass off to her as he stood up slowly from the table.

"Be careful," she whispered.

"Break a leg!" Nora called out; the others had seen him stand and understood the look in his eyes.

Cardin was still laughing as he pulled Velvet's ears, the young girl tugging away but stopping as he pulled, each time wincing in pain.

Cardin's laughter twisted into a high pitched shriek as Horatio emerged behind him, grabbing his left ear and twisting hard.

Cardin released his hold on Velvet, allowing her to dart out of his reach. He brought his hands up to Horatio's and pulled, but the hand held strong. He could not pull too hard without causing pain to his own ear.

"Hey, what do you know…it is real," Horatio announced to Cardin's face, his expression neutral and determined.

The rest of Team CRDL had surrounded Horatio, the looks on their faces mixed with worry for their leader and fear that he had been incapacitated so easily.

"Let go you….gaaaahhh," he screamed in pain as Horatio twisted his ear again.

Horatio leaned in close to his ear, whispering just loud enough for only Cardin to hear.

"Look…I don't know why you enjoy making others suffer…seems more Grimm-like than Huntsman…but it ends here. Everyone here is going to be fighting for their lives in a few years…and I do not think that a few, calm, peaceful years in a place of safety among friends is too much to ask for. So find a different outlet, if not I would be more than happy to spar with you in place of whoever you planned to mess with next."

With that Horatio released Cardin, taking a step back out of his reach as the rest of Team CRDL rushed in to check on their leader.

The cafeteria had fallen deathly silent; everyone was either outright watching or doing so under the guise of looking elsewhere.

Horatio stood his ground, letting Cardin make the next move.

Cardin rubbed his throbbing red ear; finally he stood back up, his face twisted in rage.

"Dorm rooftop…tonight after hours…no weapons," was all he grunted before storming out, the rest of his team close behind him.

Horatio took his seat again as the cafeteria slowly returned to normal. Velvet had taken a seat next to Yang and Weiss. Apparently the rest of her Team CFVY had a class together that she did not and she'd been passing time until they let out.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered, a genuine smile back on her face where it should be.

"Trust me, the pleasure was mine. I cannot stand people like him. The portrait is coming along by the way…I'll be sure to make you a copy when I finish."

"Nor I," Pyrrha agreed, eliciting nods from everyone at the table.

"So…are you going to show up at his challenge tonight?" Nora asked, clearly having overheard.

"Of course he will," Olivia shouted. "Cardin is strong but against Horatio he wouldn't stand a chance!"

Horatio was only half listening, already thinking about his encounter with Cardin in just a few hours.

 _Defeating him would be easy based on what I have seen of him in sparring sessions. No doubt Cardin would fight dirty or lure him into a trap…but that shouldn't be a problem either. But then he wouldn't learn anything…about what it means to be a huntsman._

Horatio eagerly finished his meal… no time to waste…he had to make a plan.

 **The peaceful days at Beacon continue as Horatio seeks to deter Cardin from his bullying ways…**


	6. Everyone Deserves a Chance

**Nightfall approaches at Beacon…Relationships deepen, Horatio moves to secure peace for his classmates…**

Roland raised his shield, blocking another powerful jab from Yang.

The two had been sparring together after classes since initiation, he could think of no better partner for acclimating to continuous powerful blows against his shield.

Of course that coupled with Roland's wish to find any excuse to spend time with Yang.

He nearly had a heart attack when Olivia announced that she had seen them. It's not that he didn't want people to find out…he just knew how gossip could spread. Thankfully Olivia was one of the few he trusted implicitly….even if it was almost guaranteed Esmerelda would soon know it too…

Yang leapt back, firing a blast from her gauntlets. Roland barely tilted his shield up in time, deflecting it to detonate harmlessly in the air.

"You're slipping on the left side," Yang pointed out. "Try to keep it higher."

"Easier said than done," Roland slung his shield to the ground, shaking off the pins and needles running through his arm. "You favor the left side, my shield may be unbreakable but my arms aren't."

Yang stared intently at him for a moment, resting her chin on her hand as if deep in thought.

Roland turned his head downward to hide his blushing face from her stare, acting as if he was adjusting the straps on his shield.

"You could try to focus your Aura, concentrate it on your arms when you are shifting to a more defensive style."

"I wish I had that level of control. It takes most of my concentration just to keep it up…maybe in time studying here I can give that a try."

Yang shook her left fist, gritting her teeth.

"Whatever that shield is made of, it is sturdy. I actually felt some of those blows.

"Are you ok?" Roland forgot his shyness, getting to his feet he took her hand in his, looking it over.

"It's only a bit sore," Yang teased. "I wouldn't be much of a huntress if I let this bother me."

"Even so…" Roland whispered, closing his eyes.

His Aura sprang to life, becoming visible even to Yang; the blue field slowly crept over Yang's hand.

Yang just stared in awe as the minor soreness in her hand vanished as if she had yet to even throw a punch.

"How did yo…."

"I unlocked it a few years ago," Roland explained. "Casey was jumped by a Beowulf not far from our home and was badly wounded."

Yang's eyes widened, stories of family members or friends being taken or killed by Grimm was all too common in the world.

"I managed to kill it…but there was no moving her…it had slashed her clean across the chest. Thankfully…that's when my semblance manifested itself and I was able to stabilize her enough to get back to the house."

"And you can do that with any injury?" Yang asked as she surveyed her hand again.

"Within reason," Roland hesitated. "It is quite…tiring on the more severe injuries and I have yet to test it on illnesses. A little soreness like your hand doesn't even faze me."

"I can imagine. So you are your team's shield wall and medic."

Roland chuckled slightly. "So far I've only had to use my semblance once during initiation. Olivia usually keeps her distance to maximize her rifle's effectiveness and I have yet to see Horatio even get winded. I make sure to protect Esmerelda when she gets into close quarters. I have been staying after in Professor Peach's medical classes. With a little extra work I'll be able to patch up my teammates with no Aura required."

"Esmerelda huh," Yang grinned. "I don't need to feel jealous at all do I?"

Steam practically erupted from Roland's head at those words.

"N-nononono, I mean she is my teammate, I should protect her but only as a friend. She's the only melee one in our team who needs protecting. I mean sh-she's not…I mean…um…"

Yang started laughing, holding out her hand to stop him before he dug any deeper, her other hand gripping her sides.

"I was kidding, kidding," she gasped, trying to hold back her laughter. "I didn't mean to fluster you…..that much."

Roland regained his composure as best he could, coughing several times into his hand as he stood up straight.

"While we are on the topic though….the other Kingdom Representatives are going to be arriving next week. The local businesses are having a little festival to welcome them near the docks…I was thinking…maybe…perhaps the two of us could…."

"I would love to," Yang answered right away, suddenly popping in front of him. Leaning in close she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, paralyzing him where he stood. "I'll pick you up that morning; I know this really nice little arcade near there."

With that she walked off back towards the school, flipping her hair and letting the wind catch it as if she could predict the weather.

Roland had no words, he wasn't certain how long he remained glued to that spot but the sun had started to set before his legs remembered how to move.

 **Dr. Oobleck's Class…**

Esmerelda and Pyrrha sat in their last class of the day, Professor Oobleck's History of the people of Remnant. Jaune and Blake were present as well along with everyone's least favorite student Cardin.

Cardin must have been preoccupied with his upcoming confrontation with Horatio as he was quieter than normal. He had not even insulted Faunus heritage or thrown anything at Jaune since the cafeteria fiasco.

The green-haired bespectacled Professor was busy explaining the history of the Faunus Rights Revolution which had resulted in much of the world's Faunus population being migrated to the island of Menagerie.

As he spoke the Professor seemingly teleported back and forth across the classroom, fueled by the third cup of coffee in that class alone.

"Exactly Ms. Schnee," he continued. "And who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces at Fort Castle?"

Pyrrha and Blake raised their hands high but Oobleck just looked past them, no doubt due to the multitude of questions they had already answered.

"Mr. Arc!" he appeared in front of the young man's desk despite having just been at the blackboard.

"Um…." Jaune muttered, trying desperately to remember the late night study sessions the teams had formed the first week. He knew there had to be some information buried in the volumes Horatio would read aloud by lamplight.

Jaune's eyes glanced over Oobleck's shoulders to Pyrrha and Esmerelda. Pyrrha was pointing at her eyes and holding her hands in such a way to imitate binoculars while Esmerelda appeared to be doing a combination of hiding her face behind her hands and possibly drowning. Jaune could not tell which.

"Night vision!" he blurted out at length. Jaune kicked himself for almost forgetting. The study sessions still eluded him; however when Velvet had taken their team photo at the fountain she had forgotten to include the flash for the first take despite the lack of ambient light.

"Excellent Mr. Arc," Oobleck congratulated as he blinked back to the other side of the room to continue the lesson.

"He is improving," Esmerelda whispered to Pyrrha. They both smiled as Jaune slumped back into his seat, no doubt relieved that his trial had come and gone.

"He still doubts himself," Pyrrha sighed. "He wants to improve but fears other people seeing him fail. I think that's why he hasn't taken up Horatio's offer to train at the dormitory's gym… too public."

"So for fear of failing he stunts his own growth," Esmerelda surmised.

Pyrrha only nodded sadly.

"I was hoping to train him myself after hours. But I haven't found a good time to talk to him about it."

Esmerelda looked between Pyrrha's face and Jaune's and back again.

Esmerelda never considered herself a hopeless romantic like Olivia and Roland, but seeing how Pyrrha clearly cared for Jaune and his complete obliviousness to it was driving Esmerelda insane. It was even worse than the obvious chemistry between Ren and Nora.

 _Such wasted potential_

"Why not after class? I don't think he has anymore after this one."

Pyrrha's face turned a light shade of pink, contrasting nicely with her green eyes.

"So soon…do you…really think he'd want to give it a try."

Esmerelda rested her hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.

"Trust me Pyrrha, if it's just the two of you no guy WOULDN'T want to learn combat instruction from the most gifted huntress in the school. Just...be honest with him."

Pyrrha's shade of pink escalated to full blown red…but the smile on her face grew to match. From the look on her face she had the perfect place where she and Jaune could practice without fear of being seen.

"Ms. Moto!" Oobleck snapped. "Of course you can tell us the reason this particular Faunus engagement occurred correct?"

Esmerelda's calm demeanor paled.

 _Engagement? Which engagement? We had been talking about the Battle at Fort Castle…but that was a few minutes ago. Were we still talking about that? Which ones happened after that? Had Oobleck continued to go in chronological order?_

She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Pages 91 through 121, essay before next class Ms. Moto," he muttered as he took another sip of coffee and disappeared across the classroom.

Esmerelda face planted into her desk, the patting on the back of her head and silent whispers of apology from Pyrrha her only comfort.

 **After Class….**

She must have looked utterly miserable as she shuffled out of the class, just the thought of that much reading and writing was enough to crush her spirits.

Pyrrha flew past her dragging Jaune close behind by his arm. Her smile and his look of pure confusion almost made Esmerelda forget her troubles.

 _It's about time. With her teaching him Jaune can see some real improvement….they might even…_

"Hey! Ezzy! Hey!"

Olivia had waited outside the classroom and was waving with the usual cheerful smile locked onto her face.

"Sorry, I'm gonna have to cancel our plans today," she sighed. "I got some extra work so I'll be heading to the room early tonight."

"What a coincidence, Horatio wanted my help on a project so I was going to have to cancel as well. Funny how things work out."

"A project?" Esmerelda checked her scroll; the confrontation with Cardin was coming up soon. "This wouldn't have anything to do with…"

She stopped as Cardin stormed out of the classroom, not even returning to his room he was clearly heading for the roof entrance early. His face was still fuming, though Esmerelda was starting to think that was his default setting.

Olivia followed her eyes and caught on. "I'll tell you later" she teased, turning to leave with a literal skip in her step.

 _If she is helping Horatio then where is she going? The roof access is the other way._

 **On the Roof…nightfall…**

Horatio pushed open the door leading to the roof access, the cold hair hitting him as soon as he'd taken his first step out.

Cardin was already there, as stipulated he did not have his armor or weapons and only wore the boys Beacon uniform. An all-black suit from head to toe with gold trimming, matching buttons with a white undershirt and red tie, the same that Horatio now wore.

"I didn't think you'd actually show up," Cardin mocked, sneering as he stood up from leaning on the brickwork. "Bet you felt like a big man when you humiliated me today."

"Not in the slightest," he replied stopping several feet in front of Cardin, well out of arms reach, hands behind his back. "Do you only feel big when tormenting those smaller than you?"

Cardin balled his hands into fists.

"I like to think of it as weeding out the weak," he replied surprisingly calmly. "And the Faunus should never have been admitted to this school, they aren't even human."

"No they aren't…they are Faunus," Horatio retorted. "Yet they have Auras... Semblances… hearts….souls. Everything that separates us from the Grimm. I will never understand the idea that because they share commonalities with animals natural to our planet that they should be seen as lower than another species."

Cardin unbuttoned his jacket, folding and laying it aside where the wind wouldn't take it away.

"I didn't come to lecture with you," he took up a fighting stance. "I came to show what happens to anyone who crosses me."

Horatio held his ground, standing up straight to perform the best Ozpin impression he could muster.

"I did come to lecture with you. We are both Huntsman…protecting innocents will be our bread and butter after we graduate. I would much rather you learn to think differently than fight you."

Cardin did not reply, he took a massive step towards him, winding up his fist.

With considerable force he buried his fist into Horatio's face, putting his entire body weight augmented by his Aura behind it.

Horatio did not budge, his eyes locked with Cardin's that would have been terrifying to anyone who knew him. Only the slight indentation of his skin gave any indication that Cardin had even hit him.

Cardin did not let up; he followed through with a fury of blows ending with a roundhouse kick to the side of Horatio's head.

Horatio only stood there, arms crossed, unaffected except for a slight head tilt at the kick's impact.

This volley of punishment continued for almost a minute, Cardin pulling out every move he had and then some. Not one managed to dislodge Horatio from his spot. As his assault wound down Cardin leaned forward, panting in exhaustion.

"Are you done?" Horatio asked at length. "I can wait a bit longer or we can get back to talking."

Cardin growled as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his scroll.

"Let's see how you do on four versus one," he chuckled, pressing a call button.

The two stood there for several seconds…nothing happened.

Cardin pressed the button again…and again…and again. Clearly what he thought would happen was not working.

"Where are those guys?" He shouted as Horatio took his first step forward.

 **Not far away…**

Across the school Olivia smiled in triumph. She had situated herself in the bell tower of the 2nd year students Dormitory. Velvet knew what was happening that night and gladly snuck her in. That coupled with Olivia's semblance assured no one spotted her ascent and she could sneak out just as easily.

She had only trusted her team with the knowledge of her semblance, but for tonight she had also shared it with Velvet. Her semblance allowed her to shift herself out of the perception of those within a certain radius around her. She didn't become invisible or harder to see…rather as long as she did not draw undue attention to herself people would look right past her like she was a pebble in a rock quarry. This was invaluable as a sniper.

It was a straight shot from that height between dormitories and with her rifle she easily spotted where Cardin's team had been in hiding, ready to jump in if things went bad for their leader.

A few well-placed rubber bullets from this distance to the back of their heads had rendered them all unconscious. Horatio would be able to try to enact his plan to redeem Cardin if that was even possible.

"Good luck," she whispered as she prepared to lower her rifle.

A small glimmer of gold caught her eye; she snapped her attention back to the rooftop where Cardin and Horatio stood.

She could barely see them but now that she was looking it was unmistakable. Pyrrha and Jaune were hiding behind the large radiator on the same roof only a few feet from where Horatio and Cardin stood. The space looked too small for the two to occupy at the same time.

 _No way…I had no idea Jaune or Pyrrha were so bold. They're not…_

She amplified the magnification of her scope.

 _Oh…they're actually not._

Upon closer inspection, what Olivia had originally mistaken for a romantic rendezvous was anything but. The two were crammed together tighter than sardines in a can, arms and legs bent in clearly uncomfortable positions. They both had their ears trained upward, no doubt trying to overhear the conversation being held. It was obvious they were doing everything they could to hide from view behind the radiator so that neither Cardin nor Horatio spotted them.

 _Were they talking on the roof together and scrambled to hide when Cardin showed up? Of all nights Pyrrha why would you pick this one to try and talk to Jaune?_

Olivia took one more peek before she knew she would need to start heading back to the room or risk her absence being noticed. It was hard to tell from this distance amidst their jumbled body parts but she could have sworn both were both blushing…and smiling at each other.

 _Not yet…but a good start._

 **Back on the Rooftop…**

"So you think the weak shouldn't go to this school?" Horatio asked, taking a step forward.

Cardin looked worried for the first time; he backed up with each of Horatio's steps forward.

"Th-the strong should be able to do whatever they want with those weaker," he stuttered, his resolve failing. "We earned it!"

"So by that logic…I can do whatever I want with you during the four years here is that about right? That everyone at this school should be mine to do with as I wish?"

Cardin stumbled over his words, clearly trying to find a retort that was not coming.

"Strength determining ones place is how the Grimm work… the larger ones preying on and ruling the smaller with no regard for their own kind. Don't you think we have enough to worry about from them without having to always be watching those around us?"

Cardin backed up again; Horatio was nearly in arms reach.

"I told you in the cafeteria that these are likely our last years of peace before we begin our duty of protecting the people of Remnant," Horatio continued, his voice getting louder. "I meant that for everyone…you included."

Horatio stepped within a foot of Cardin.

"St-stay baaaa-"Cardin started to shout before he backed into the edge of the rooftop. He had been completely unprepared for it and toppled over the side.

"No!" Horatio broke his calm demeanor; this was definitely not part of the plan.

He threw himself over the edge, his feet curling through his sneakers to grip the brick with all their might preventing his fall.

At the last moment he had grabbed one of Cardin's hands, the two hung there for several seconds. Cardin reached up and grabbed Horatio's free hand with his other.

"Can you climb up me?" Horatio called down. His feet were losing their grip on the ledge and did not have the strength to pull up both of them.

Cardin pulled himself up, however slipped when trying to get a grip on Horatio's shoulders. He barely grabbed onto a hand in time to prevent another fall.

Horatio closed his eyes and thought. As soon as they fell if he could at least try and get under Cardin to cushion the impact he could limit the injury. The fall would be nothing to him, but from how high up they were he didn't want to risk Cardin's Aura being unable to take the hit.

He felt his feet slip off the edge, he prepared to fall.

The fall abruptly halted as hands closed around his legs, surprising both himself and Cardin.

Pyrrha and Jaune had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed one of his legs each.

"Hold on!" Jaune called down. "Ok Pyrrha…pull!"

Working between them Pyrrha and Jaune succeeded in hauling Horatio and Cardin back onto the rooftop. The two slumped to the ground, glad to be back on a flat surface.

Horatio stood, holding out his hand to Cardin who was still recovering on the ground. At first he shirked back, however after a moment tentatively took it, allowing Horatio to pull him to his feet.

"Just…try looking at people for something other than their strength or status as a human," Horatio concluded. "You might just learn something and make some more friends over the next four years."

With that Jaune, Horatio and Pyrrha took their leave of the rooftop, leaving Cardin standing there pale-faced and wide-eyed, contemplating a great many things.

"I owe you two for that," Horatio thanked them as they made their way back to the rooms. "That could have gotten ugly fast, how did you get to the roof so fast?"

Jaune and Pyrrha glanced at each other awkwardly, spinning to Horatio at the same time.

"O you know… we were just….worried about how things were going and decided to come and see if we could help!" Jaune just nodded in agreement to Pyrrha's statement.

"Well fate was watching over us then… with any luck Cardin will think about tonight. You two have a good night." Horatio bid them as he slipped into his room. He was so tired he did not notice Pyrrha and Jaune holding hands on the way back to their own room.

Olivia had already returned and was snoring in her bed, the sheets rising and falling with her breaths.

Esmerelda appeared to have passed out at her desk, a rather lengthy essay sitting just barely finished in front of her. Her desk lamp was still on.

Horatio clicked the light off and slid the blanket from her bed to cover her in the seat. She stirred but did not wake.

He snuck past Roland and slipped into bed but he could not sleep. As silently as possible he retrieved the team photo and started sketching.

He had completed the details for Team JNPR and HERO and was putting the finishing touches on RWBY, coloring would start soon…but something was off again that eluded him.

For what felt like the hundredth time he erased Ruby's eyes and started again. Never before had he found such challenge getting eyes right.

 _I'll have to make sure I find the right shade of silver when coloring to get them perfect…_

 **Horatio takes the first steps of ensuring happiness for his friends and fellow students at Beacon hoping that Cardin will think about that night and change his ways. The Vytal Festival Representatives are due to arrive. What challenges await them in the days ahead? Read, review, but most of all, enjoy. :)**


	7. A Day on the Town

**Fun and festivals, a time for celebration and revelations. The ripples of change both related and unrelated to our new heroes become more apparent. What awaits them ahead and how long will their golden days last?**

The school was bustling, representatives from Haven Academy would be arriving and everyone worked to ensure they were welcomed.

Classes were temporarily suspended to allow for a long break which led to many personal celebrations among the students.

Ms. Goodwitch was busy levitating the decorations into place assisted by the other professors and any volunteers or students with detention they had conscripted.

Velvet was perusing the different stalls, they were still empty and covered with tarp but she wanted to show the various stages of preparation.

 _What a wonderful time_ , she thought, snapping another photo.

This one was of Nora balancing Ren on her shoulders. He was carefully tying a sign to its post; he was still unfurling it but the word 'Vytal' could be made out in large letters. Nora gave Velvet a big thumbs-up for the picture. Taking a hand off Ren caused him to lose balance and nearly fall but Nora caught him easily, holding him in her arms for a moment before setting him back down.

Team JNPR had been among the volunteers assisting with the preparations that day. Velvet was sure Jaune and Pyrrha were around here somewhere…

 _Everyone working together, memories that will last forever as we get to meet our friends from around the world. If only this happened more than once every two years._

Velvet knew the next festival would be more somber as it would be in the year of Team CFVY's graduation from Beacon.

Velvet rounded a corner, not paying attention she slammed into another student knocking her to the ground.

"Sorry, I wasn't look…" she froze upon the realization the form towering over her was none other than Cardin Winchester.

He was carrying a large stack of ornament boxes in his arms; he looked confused as to what just happened.

Velvet's ears folded down in fear, Cardin had been nothing but a terror since the year started. Her team leader Coco had voiced more than once she'd be more than happy to have a strong word with him but Velvet didn't want to cause trouble just for her.

 _Not again, why is he even here? Was Team CRDL in some sort of trouble and got conscripted into the preparations? What could he possibly have plan…"_

Her thoughts stopped dead as Cardin shifted the stack to one arm and extended a hand to her, Velvet just stared at it, unsure what he was getting at.

"I'm…sorry," Cardin whispered.

Velvet looked into Cardin's face; she had learned to avoid it after he first started picking on her. This time was different, his normal sinister smirk was gone…instead his face was calm. He could barely keep eye contact with her and seemed almost…remorseful?

"What?" she asked, finally realizing he was extending his hand to help her to her feet.

"I'm…sorry," he repeated. "For everything."

Velvet hesitantly extended her hand, taking his. With little effort he pulled her up, she must have been light as a feather to him.

Cardin readjusted the boxes in his arms; he kept looking away from Velvet and back as if he didn't quite know what to do next.

After a moment he nodded to her and turned, continuing on the path he had originally been walking.

"Um…" Velvet squeaked before he got too far. "Are you…helping with the festival too?"

"Yea…I heard there was a lot of heavy lifting needed so I got my team to help a bit. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I heard."

 _Team CRDL is…volunteering?_

"See ya later, have a…nice day." Cardin said awkwardly before turning to leave again.

Velvet stood there shell shocked…was he trying to be…polite?

 _What the heck happened? Cardin turning over a new leaf? If it were true that would be the story of the century!_

"M-maybe I can help," she called out, her courage getting the better of her.

Cardin froze but did not refute her offer.

Slowly he lowered his arms, giving Velvet a chance to grab a small but precariously perched package on the top.

"So where are these meant for?"

"Storage room 2nd floor of the gymnasium. I think they mentioned these will be used to decorate for the Beacon Dance coming up."

Velvet hid the blush forming on her cheeks, she had almost completely forgotten about the dance her team was going to be organizing... not that she had anyone to go with...

The two continued on their way, after a while Velvet started humming one of her favorite tunes...even Cardin joined in after a few seconds of awkward silence.

 **At the Dorms…**

Students were given permission to visit Vale during their time off; local shops saw a boom in business and were open to everyone.

Team HERO was busy preparing for their excursion into Vale. Horatio, Esmerelda and Olivia were wearing their normal clothes finally glad they did not have to wear their school uniforms. Roland, on the other hand, had donned an array he saved for special occasions.

He had traded out the Beacon boys' uniform for a long-sleeve green dress shirt with black vest. He had broken out his blue-jeans with the fewest wrinkles and even shined his shoes. For a final touch he fastened his belt adorned with gold and silver wings on the buckle and clipped on an old-style wristwatch.

Olivia whistled as he completed his preparations.

"Looking good, I had no idea you were so excited about welcoming the Haven Academy students."

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Roland answered almost before the first knock had finished. "I'll meet you guys at the docks before the other Kingdom Representatives are set to arrive."

"But we got a ride into town, how are you going to…"

Her question became irrelevant as the door swung open revealing Yang Xiao Long who had also chosen an attire outside her norm.

Her ensemble consisted of a white-cream sleeveless vest and a black shrug with sleeves not quite reaching her wrist. Black boots and a matching mini skirt completed the outfit with a purple scarf tied at the belt to add a flair of color matching her eyes.

Horatio and Esmerelda became very interested in the walls closest to them as just Olivia stood gawking.

"Ready to go?" Yang asked playfully, pulling down her sunglasses and revealing her eyes with a wink.

"Anytime," he answered, linking his arm with Yang's. With a quick farewell wave to his team they disappeared into the hall.

"They are so adorable!" Olivia shouted as soon as she was certain they were out of range.

Esmerelda and Horatio could only smile and shake their heads.

 **Vale…**

Welcome signs adorned the sidewalks near the docks, a preview of how Beacon Academy would soon be when the Vytal Festival started in earnest. The remnants of Team HERO and RWBY had met and were ready to begin having fun.

"There's a store here that boasts sweets from all over Remnant," Olivia read from her pamphlet. "We NEED to hit that at some point!"

"Tukson's Book Trade," Blake announced loudly. "I have a novel I need to pick up. He can get books no one else can in Vale."

Horatio's ears perked up at her last statement.

"Does he have anything on pre-technological Huntsman society?"

Blake just looked at him, mouth hanging open trying to process what he had just said.

"Uh….maybe? He claims to have every book under the sun."

"We can split up," Weiss offered. "Hit each place we want and meet up at the Monty café near the docks for the ship's arrival."

"Dibs on the sweets!" Ruby shouted teleporting next to Olivia. The two of them disappeared, only leaving behind their silhouettes in a puff of smoke and rose petals.

"I'll go with Blake to this book store," Horatio smiled, checking his wallet. "Depending what he has I may be light this month."

Weiss and Esmerelda were the last ones remaining as the dust settled. The two looked at each other; it was the first time they could remember it was just them without their teams.

"So…wanna hang out at the café?" Esmerelda asked as politely as possible.

"That sounds lovely."

 **Not far…**

A chime greeted them as Blake and Horaito pushed open the door to Tukson's Book Trade, it appeared they were the only ones there.

Horatio's jaw hit the floor as he looked around the store. For as small and quaint as it appeared from outside it was filled nearly wall to wall with books. Not only the walls, but stands were positioned throughout the store, turning it into a sort of miniature maze. Blake navigated her way to the front while Horatio browsed the shelves.

Blake rang the small bell sitting on the front wood desk.

"Just a moment!" a voice called from the backroom visible through a set of double doors.

Horatio looked up and down the shelves; he had never seen such a diverse collection except in the largest of libraries.

 _Comics…magazines, fiction, non-fiction…aha…Historical non-fiction._

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the…" the man stopped as he saw the ones in his shop.

"Blake!" He shouted, leaning over the desk. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since you started classes at Beacon!"

"I've been doing well Tukson, I hope you have too."

Horatio glanced over at mention of the man's name, same as the shop. He was clearly a Faunus based on his cat-like eyes, perhaps a Puma Faunus…which also explained his magnificent side burns and hairy arms.

"Well enough," he chuckled. "I know why you are here, just a moment." He disappeared into the back.

Horatio scanned the books, disappointed he could find nothing predating the Great War only eighty years earlier.

Tukson emerged from the back with a book already gift wrapped and presented it to Blake.

"There ya go, enjoy…you'd think this guy would have enough souls by now," he chuckled.

"O thank you," Blake replied with restrained jubilation. "I don't know how you got this; I thought I'd have to wait months for it to get out of Vacuo."

"Well I still have some of my old connec…"

Tukson stopped as he spotted Horatio making his way to the desk, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Who is he?" He asked.

"A friend from school, he's good I swear."

Tukson's demeanor softened immediately.

"Ah well in that case, what can I do for you son?"

"I um, was wondering if you had any books that predate the Great War." Horatio asked. "I was looking through the Historical non-fiction section and couldn't find any."

"Ah, that's easy; you are looking in the wrong place."

Tukson pointed just past them…to the Historical-fiction section.

"Sorry kid, very few events before the Great War can be verified. As a result I had to re-catalogue them so…anything in particular you were looking for?"

"As far back as I can find!" Horatio proclaimed. He was practically channeling Ruby in his enthusiasm.

"Hmmm, give me a second, be right back."

Tukson disappeared into the back again and was gone for several minutes. This gave Horatio ample time to look over the Historical-Fiction section.

"Legends of the Warrior King...Grimm Beginnings!" He read off to Blake as he pulled book after book from the shelves. "How to Pick Up Fair Maidens?" He slipped that one back onto the shelf.

When Tukson returned he was approached by Horatio holding a stack of half a dozen books.

"Um…one of each please," he asked sheepishly.

"He IS a good one," Tukson joked as he rang up the books, adding the one he had brought from the back to the top.

"Twin Worlds: The Birth of an Age?" Horatio read aloud, looking over the book. "I've never even heard of this one."

"Picked it up from an acquaintance in Vacuo who claimed not many copies were left. I usually keep it in the back but any friend of Blake's who is interested in history and literature is more than welcome to borrow it."

"Th-thank you sir! I will take good care of it." Horatio stuttered, suddenly acting as if the book in his hands was about to fall apart at any moment. He gently lowered it into the bag, cushioning it with the other books he had purchased.

"So, you two out for the welcome celebrations? Glad to see you met another intellectual Blake."

"Yes, we had the day off and decided to make the most of it. We'll be greeting the other Kingdom representatives by the docks."

"Well if any of them love books you know where to send them," he smiled. "And be sure to come back soon…I am sure that guy in your books will be up to five souls in no time."

Blake blushed as she slid the book into her bag.

The two exited the shop, waving goodbye to Tukson as the door swung shut behind them.

"You should have told me about this place before Blake," Horatio remarked, still excited over his purchases. "Their selection was excellent."

"Not many people use his store unfortunately. Faunus business owners have it rough, especially after all the White Fang have done."

Horatio knew of the White Fang, there were few who didn't. A group of Pro-Faunus individuals who used violence to try and improve rights for their people. Their goal may be noble…but their actions had proven to be anything but in recent years.

"That is terrible…I mean how would humans feel if Faunus judged us by just looking at one individual or group? Imagine if they treated us like we were all that Roman Torchwick guy the authorities are after."

Blake smiled wider at that than Horatio had ever seen.

Horatio did not notice the bow on her head bob slightly.

 _Tukson was right…he is a good one…just like my team. Maybe I can finally tell them…_

 **At the Monty Café…**

Esmerelda chuckled as Weiss completed her story.

"So that's why your drapes look like that …Ruby had no idea?"

"Not one bit," Weiss smiled back. "I had to point out her scythe had gone clean through them…now they just look tacky."

The two had been regaling each other with tales of their respective teammates. So far Weiss was winning as Ruby seemed to surpass even Olivia in her excitable nature and overall cheeriness.

"And Roland's action figures…' model figurines' he calls them," Esmerelda laughed, gripping her cup with a second hand to prevent it from spilling. "I swear they multiply when we're not looking…they are everywhere!"

Taking a final sip, Esmerelda laid down her empty coffee cup, she'd never had it before but Weiss insisted she try it. Apparently Weiss was a big fan of coffee with two lumps of sugar no cream.

 _I could grow to like this._

The two had decided to just relax until the ship was set to dock. It was a welcome change from the classes, exams and training they had endured the past few weeks. They would be meeting the others soon, but for now…this was nice.

Olivia and Ruby were the first to show up carrying several boxes full of chocolate, assorted candy and ice cream. After some begging Weiss was kind enough to place a miniature glyph on the boxes to ensure they did not melt before returning to Beacon.

Surprisingly, Yang was with them along with another girl they did not recognize. She was wearing a grey overall-dress with a white undershirt that looked very old fashioned. She had bright orange hair and piercing green eyes, a smile on her face as she seemed to be enjoying carrying the packages of assorted sweets.

"Salutations!" The girl exclaimed to everyone as they approached.

"Um…hello," Weiss greeted the new girl. "Have we met?"

"No," she answered, pausing for an uncomfortable amount of time before continuing. "But I have met Ruby and Olivia….Ruby called me a friend."

"I um…sort of ran into her when checking out a special on cookies they were having," Ruby explained embarrassed. "She absolutely insisted on helping us carry the packages."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Esmerelda held out her hand to the girl. "My name is Esmerelda."

"I am Penny!" She blurted out, taking Esmerelda's hand.

 _That is a strong grip!_

"They had so many packages for you," Penny explained. "I absolutely had to help!"

"For us?"

"Blueberry Frozen Yogurt for Weiss, Strawberry for Yang and Rocky Road for Esmerelda," Ruby announced, laying the packages containing each in front of their respective owners.

Stars shimmered in each of the girl's eyes for a moment but quickly disappeared as they attempted to hide their delight.

"Ahem…thank you" Weiss muttered before sneaking a spoonful.

"So where'd Roland sneak off to?" Ruby finally asked, noticing his absence. "I thought you two were going to hit up the arcade."

"O we did, he seemed to hold his own at first but he took a BIG hit on the shooters. We agreed the loser had to buy drinks, he said he would catch up here."

"So how is your first crush big sis?"

"You crushed this man?" Penny asked, looking both confused and horrified at Ruby's question.

"Nono, crush ON him," Ruby tried to explain. "Um…you see Penny, when a Huntsman and Huntress love each other very much….

Yang took a swipe at Ruby who barely managed to duck, shielding her cookie box with her life.

"He is a perfect gentleman," Yang announced proudly. "He holds doors open, loves sparring and actually likes having fun. Too many guys these days don't appreciate a woman who can beat them to a pulp."

Ruby smiled, she had seen Yang flirt with and talk about other guys. With how utterly gorgeous she was it was hard to avoid the attention. How she was acting now though…it was different.

"Have you told Dad or Uncle Qrow yet?"

Yang nearly choked on her ice cream.

"I-I'll tell them when it's time…DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT…."

Ruby raised her hands in the air.

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

"So…." Weiss started, turning to the new girl, Penny, to change the subject. "What brings you to Vale?"

"I'll be competing in the Tournament."

"You'll be fighting? Where is the rest of your team?"

"I am combat ready!" Penny announced, giving Weiss a quick salute. "My compatriots did not wish to partake in the celebrations so I left on my own."

They stopped talking as Roland finally rejoined them, panting as if he'd run pretty far, he looked surprised as he saw the rest of the team and Penny present. He was holding his hands behind his back suspiciously.

"Yang! I…I didn't know everyone would be here already….and…" he glanced at Penny.

"I'm Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you," She greeted, her smile never fading as she spoke.

"…likewise," Roland replied, clearly confused.

"Almost everyone," Yang caught him up to speed. "We're still waiting on Blake and Horatio to get back…why do you look so guilty?"

"Guilty?" Roland asked, visibly sweating. "Me?"

"That would fit the evidence," Penny stepped in, talking faster than anyone he'd ever met and placing her face uncomfortably close to his. "You are hiding your arms from view, your internal temperature has risen with visible perspiration on your outer skin and your pupils appear to be dilated…"

As Roland struggled to find a defense, Yang walked up to him, eyes never wavering from his. With a quick motion she reached behind him and snatched what he was holding before he could pull back.

It was a small box wrapped in black and yellow paper just big enough to fit in the palm of Yang's hand.

Yang looked at him, her face a mix of appreciation and regret that she had called him out on the gift.

"I was…hoping to give that to you more privately," he groaned, glancing at their audience.

Every member of Team RWBY and HERO present immediately diverted their heads, looking in various directions and whistling nonchalantly. Penny was the only exception watching the two of them intently, still smiling.

Yang opened the package, inside was a small round purple pendent affixed onto a silver disk. A silver chain was wrapped around it to be used as a necklace.

"I…saw it in that store window near the arcade and it reminded me of your eyes…I knew I could never sneak over while we were there so…"

Yang punched him in the arm.

"You let me win you jerk!" She immediately followed-up the punch by wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I love it…thank you."

They held the hug for what felt like forever, Roland pulled her as close as he could, stroking the back of her flowing hair. It was an eternity he never wanted to end.

After parting she turned around, holding up her hair she let Roland wrap the chain around her neck and affix the necklace in place.

"You could say I have an….eye for the best," he smiled, there was no stopping him.

"Aaawwwwww," Ruby and Olivia collectively sighed, unable to contain themselves any longer.

It did not take long for Horatio and Blake to return and just in time as the ship was starting its final preparations to enter dock. Penny rushed to the front of the group, straining to see as far as possible.

It was a massive ocean liner with a crew of dozens at least and the room to hold ten times more in passengers. The ship was armed with the best weaponry technology could offer, they could think of no Grimm that would even stand a chance against its defenses.

"Big smiles everyone! That means you too Weiss." Ruby exclaimed as they watched the ship.

"Hey!"

The docks were now packed with people come to welcome the representatives for the Vytal Festival. Horatio had his sketchbook out again, trying to get a quick outline of everyone he could and let his memory fill in the gaps for later.

The first to disembark was a team of four men, though only three were actually walking, the fourth with blue hair was apparently blindfolded, tied and was being carried. They appeared to have quite a fan following as hordes of girls surrounded them the whole way with signs and autograph requests.

"I knew you were lying!" the blindfolded student shouted to the others. "You told me we were taking an airship to Vale!"

"Calm down Neptune" the apparent leader, a young Faunus with blonde hair and monkey tail chided. "The airship wasn't leaving for hours, we would have been late…we save loads of time going by boat."

"That must be Team SSSN," Penny informed the group. "Led by Sun Wukong, the one in the open shirt. The other members of the team include Neptune Vasilias, Scarlet David and Sage Ayana."

As if he had heard his name Sun turned to their group, giving a flirtatious wink at Blake. She returned a smile.

Horatio and Roland looked him over. He was wearing blue shorts nearly reaching his ankles with an open white shirt that revealed his physique to the world. The two slumped over depressed, his abs were chiseled and absolutely amazing, suddenly they felt woefully out of shape.

 _Horatio is going to double the training reps for the rest of the year._ Roland wept in his mind.

The next group consisted of two men and two women. The first to disembark was a woman with dark skin and platinum blonde hair. She wore a yellow robe though only her right arm had a sleeve; the left was bare revealing her shoulder and black tube top. A red sash tied the robe closed and she wore a set of long black pants.

"Team ABRN," Roland announced, not needing to wait for introductions. "Be right back."

He rushed down to the pier; the others close behind and headed Team ABRN off before they reached the taxi services that would take them through a tour of Vale and eventually to Beacon Academy.

"Arslan!" He shouted to the blonde, she and her teammates turned at his words.

"Roland?" The serious expression on her face never changed as she approached him.

As they came within arm's reach, both Roland and Arslan held out an arm, gripping the other up to the elbow as if they were comrades in some ancient war.

"You've gotten stronger," she finally smiled looking him over. "It's about time."

"I missed you too," Roland released his grip and motioned to the others behind him. "These are my friends; we can give better introductions at Beacon after you are settled in."

"You'd better be prepared for more sparring; you are keeping up your arm strength like I told you to right?"

"No worries there, I have been keeping up. I have a fantastic sparring partner." Roland nonchalantly motioned in Yang's direction. Arslan understood immediately.

"Excellent," her mood grew more serious as she leaned in closer. "Remember, don't overuse it...it's ok to think of yourself once in a while over others as hard as that is for you."

One of her teammates, a man with pink hair coughed loudly, motioning Arslan towards the taxis, they were on a tight schedule.

He waved goodbye as she joined her team, Roland knew they would have a hard time if they had to face Team ABRN in the Tournament. Even after his hours of sparring he was uncertain whether Yang or Arslan were stronger in terms of brute force.

There was one more Haven team left to disembark but most of the crowd had dispersed, no one seemed to be waiting for them specifically.

The first was a girl with green hair and dark skin almost matching Arslan's. She was wearing the Haven Academy uniform as were all of them consisting of a zipped up long-sleeve black jacket and white undershirt. The girl's uniform featured a skirt with a checkered gray, white and black pattern while the men wore pure black long pants.

"I had no idea Haven was so conservative on their color scheme," Esmerelda chimed in. The only vibrant color was a thin red strip on the right breast of the jacket.

Next was a man who appeared quite tall for a first year student. He had grey-silver hair spiked upward and held a serious expression on his face.

He was closely followed by a second girl. She had dark hair tied up into twin tails with large white ribbons and a kind smile on her face. She held a large black and white umbrella over her head and walked with the utmost grace and soft gentle steps.

"Any idea who they are?" Weiss whispered as they passed by.

"They must be last minute additions," Penny looked on curiously. "I do not recall seeing their faces in the Haven files."

Esmerelda reached into her pack and produced a Vytal Festival pamphlet. They were not yet distributed but Ms. Goodwitch had provided a copy to teams participating in the Tournament ahead of time.

"Team CRMS (Crimson) Horatio read aloud, leaning over Esmerelda's shoulder. "The third of the Haven Teams, the first girl was Emerald Sustrai, the second is listed as Ray Baskyn…the grey-haired guy is Mercury Black and they are led by a Cinder F….all..."

He trailed off as the final student stepped off the boat and all thought left his mind. His hands instantly started sketching off instinct alone.

The team leader Cinder Fall walked down the plank, she wore the same uniform as the previous girls had but the difference was night and day, Horatio's breath caught in his throat and his jaw hit the floor for the second time that day.

She was breathtaking, long curly hair matching the black of her uniform covering most of her left eye and falling past her shoulders. Her skin was almost as pale as Ruby's with burning bright amber eyes that stood out like the sun itself. She was smiling and waving nonchalantly to those on the dock but no one in particular. She could have been mistaken for a model.

Her eyes locked with Horatio's for a moment, it took all his will to muster a single wave back.

She returned his wave with one of her own accompanied by a wink before continuing to join her teammates.

Olivia was the first to notice their Team leader's mystified state.

"Horatio," she called, waving her hand in front of his face.

He continued to stare forward, his eyes frozen open, he did not appear to be blinking.

"Horatio! Fearless leader!" she called again, snapping her fingers in front of him, still no reaction. Glancing down she saw the sketch Horatio was working furiously on. It was clearly the leader of Team CRMS and was very detailed despite the short time since she had emerged from the ship.

 _Wow, that's some reaction…he wasn't this awestruck even when he first saw Ruby._

The sketch depicted Cinder walking on the pier; Horatio had already finished her outline and just about every minor detail of her clothes but had yet to complete her face.

"Wakey wakey!" she shouted, giving Horatio a smack on the back of the head.

Horatio fell forward, slamming into the ground hard and tumbling forward, the sketch pad sliding to the edge of the dock.

"What was that for?" Horatio blurted out, scrambling to retrieve it. He had been so entranced he had neglected to raise his Aura.

"I had to bring you back down to earth," she laughed. "From the look on your face you were halfway to heaven."

"You could say he was…..FALLing for her hard."

Roland woke up 2 hours later at the dorms in a daze…..

 **Inside the Taxi…**

Cinder took a seat as the car sped off; her team had been given special permission by Haven's Headmaster to have a private vehicle.

"I thought we weren't supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves," Mercury replied snidely to Cinder.

"That's why I'm in command," she responded calmly, the serene yet sinister smile on her face unbroken. "We would have stood out more if we didn't make it seem like we were glad to be here."

"Well, we have a few hours until the tour takes us to Beacon," Emerald advised, looking over the pamphlet the visiting students had been provided. "Unfortunately we couldn't get out of it entirely."

"No problems there," Cinder's smile deepened. "I mean just look at all the fascinating stops we will be seeing: The business district, the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower, the …why we'll even get to see the Tournament Grounds before anyone else."

Her team smiled with her at the names of the locations on their route to Beacon Academy. The girl known as Ray kicked her feet up, tilting the umbrella to provide shade from the taxi sun roof.

 **New friends and enemies arrive at Beacon. Can our Heroes recognize which is which before it is too late? Realization of friends already among them will come to light.**

 **The changes from canon expand due to Team HERO's involvement. Events changing in unexpected ways… Read, review, but most of all enjoy!**


	8. The Board is Set

**Last Chapter of Volume 1, I hope everyone has been enjoying the tale of what could have been…**

 **Life at Beacon continues, the pieces are moving all around our Heroes…**

Esmerelda awoke in their room letting out a load groan as she stretched. It was nice having the day free but there was no reason to sleep in.

She glanced over at her teammates, Olivia was still asleep, Roland and Horatio's beds were empty as usual at this hour. They were probably still running laps.

She climbed out of her bed, still in her long shirt and lounge pants she slept in. Quickly changing into her uniform she set out on the quest for food.

She did not have to go far, just outside the cafeteria after retrieving her morning toast and a cup of coffee she found Team RWBY was gathered. Esmerelda could not help but notice that Blake was absent and Ruby looked completely flustered.

"Good Morning!" Esmerelda called out. "You guys early birds too?"

When Ruby turned directly towards her, the fear in her face was unmistakable.

"Sorry…we…can't really talk. Blake is missing, or has been since last night. We are heading into Vale to look for her."

"Missing?" Esmerelda asked, completely shocked. "How?" Everything had seemed fine the previous day after they had returned to Beacon from the welcoming celebrations…a deservedly unconscious Roland notwithstanding.

"Well, after we returned we started talking about the White Fang, apparently Blake wanted to tell us something…Weiss and Blake got into an argument about them….Weiss was very vocal on her thoughts."

"All true!" Weiss chimed in, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Well…" Ruby hesitated before retelling the next part. "Blake…kind of revealed she used to be part of the White Fang and ran off. She didn't come back all night!"

Esmerelda just stared blankly.

"She used to…what?"

"I'm sorry!" Ruby shouted, apparently regretting her revelation. "Please don't tell anyone yet! We have to find her! She could be in trouble!"

"O….k," Esmerelda consented, pulling out her scroll. "I'll message my team that I forgot something in Vale and had to go without them. I won't say a word, I swear. Any idea where to look?"

"No clue, we are going to retrace our steps from yesterday and go from there," Yang explained.

Esmerelda sent the message and put away her scroll. She didn't want to have to answer any questions if the others inquired further. This way she could truthfully use the excuse that she had turned it off.

 **The Dormitory Gym…**

Roland spotted for Horatio who had nearly completed his latest reps. As expected he was working harder than before, Roland had finished his already but Horatio was determined to continue. To their shock and joy Jaune had also decided to accept their offer and work out with them. As a result all of Team JNPR was present working at the various machines.

Nora was lifting weights while Ren ran a treadmill near her. From the looks of things she had stacked nearly every weight she could fit onto the bar.

Jaune and Pyrrha were near the giant mirrors, Jaune was in a boxing stance holding weights in each hand. Pyrrha was throwing quick jabs at him while giving tips and commands.

"Left, right, block, left, hold your stance" she went through their routine. Already Jaune was sweating but kept swinging and dodging. He was still a long way from Pyrrha's level…but then again who wasn't? His improvement from day one was quite noticeable.

"If it weren't for you Horatio I'd be really worried if we have to face JNPR in the first tournament round. I mean, I know you are our number one choice for the finals but aren't you nervous? You may have to fight against Pyrrha alone!"

Horatio finished his rep and re-established his Aura as he got to his feet; with his ability working out with his Aura activated would be a wasted gesture.

"Of course," he chuckled. "In terms of pure skill Pyrrha has me beat by a mile. My hardiness is my only advantage."

"Yea, but it's one heck of an advantage. Have you heard the nicknames around the school? They call her Untouchable but you Invincible…if you two actually fought they'd probably need to call in the air fleet."

"Yea…" Horatio muttered, trying to downplay the conversation. "What are you planning the final week?

"Aw man…I almost forgot that classes will resume next Monday," Roland sighed. "I was just getting used to having free time on my hands. But we still got a week…"

The gym door flung open, revealing three of the four members of Team CRMS of Haven. They were wearing matching sleeveless tank tops with the logo of their academy and sweat pants. The silver-haired man's was full length while the two women's were cut short, leaving their midriffs bear. They looked the gym over as they entered.

The three approached Horatio and Roland, big smiles on their faces.

"Hey there!" the man greeted, raising his hand in a wave. "I heard this was the place to be to find the best of the best."

Roland and Horatio chuckled.

"I would like to think so," Roland held his hand out. "Roland Mane, pleased to meet you. This is my teammate Horatio Soplar."

"Just call me Mercury," he replied, shaking his hand. "These are my teammates Emerald and Cinder."

"A pleasure," Horatio stood up, trying to look at each of them in turn and resist the desire to look just at Cinder. "We were at the docks when you arrived."

"Ah, yes you were the cute one," Cinder said from the back. Her voice was soft and melodious; almost a whisper but he caught every word. "The one drawing us."

 _She saw that?_

"He was sketching all of the representatives," Roland jumped in for the save, catching on that Horatio's brain was probably melting since the cute remark. "Your team was the last one off the boat."

"A pity…" Cinder sighed.

"Where is your fourth member? Ray I think the roster said her name was."

"She stayed behind in the room," Cinder explained. Her skin does not do so well on such a…hot day."

"O wow, I guess that explains her umbrella. I hope she gets better in time for the tournament."

"Is that Pyrrha Nikos?" Mercury asked, pointing to her in the back with Jaune.

The two had started circling each other on the wide-open mat. She was clearly teaching him to keep up with opponents while exhausted.

"Yea…that's her."

"Wow, I have heard SO much about her," Mercury sounded like a big fan. "I was hoping to get some fighting tips, maybe spar against her. You know what they say? Learn from the best to be the best?"

"True words," Roland continued. "But unfortunately she's a little busy for the next hour or so. Also full sparring matches are prohibited outside of classes…but I think you are in our class. I am sure Ms. Goodwitch would let you have a match if you want."

"You think she would do that for me?" he asked looking positively jubilant at the chance.

"What style do you use?" Horatio blurted out, finally rediscovering his voice.

"My own," Mercury smiled smugly, turning to him. "Learned everything I know from my dad."

"Me too, if I may borrow your adage about learning from the best…before you face Pyrrha would you do me the honor of sparring next chance we have? Getting to see combat from other lands is one of the best parts of the Vytal Festival."

Cinder and Emerald hung back, the two smirking and glancing at each other as if the request was amusing.

"Why not?" Mercury exclaimed, throwing his arms wide open. "What better way to bond as fellow huntsman-in training? I'll spar with you as soon as they allow matches again!"

With that the three turned and left the gym, Cinder giving a slight wave goodbye, her smile never fading.

"I'll be looking forward to those drawings."

"I-I'll let you know as soon as I've finished coloring..." Horatio muttered sheepishly as he returned her wave.

"Huh," Roland muttered under his breath. "They didn't actually do any workout…."

 **Outside…**

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Mercury joked as he burst into laughter.

"Is everyone in this school so friendly?" Emerald asked, rolling her eyes. "Who were they anyway?"

"Nobodies," Mercury surmised as Cinder looked over her scroll.

They had hacked the school's database…it was almost too easy. With the information they had downloaded they could determine the strengths and specialties of any student before the tournament.

"Horatio and Roland…Team HERO. Roland uses a split-Greatshield, a defensive combat support style and a semblance with minor restorative capabilities."

"What an apt team name, no problem there."

"Horatio is the leader, semblance not yet attained…" her eyes narrowed as she read his file. "Apparently his Aura augments his physical capabilities far above normal. His team was able to defeat an Ursa King during their initiation without outside support."

"Probably a fluke."

"Perhaps…but I have a feeling your little sparring session will be more intriguing than I thought…"

"Be careful Cinder," Emerald teased. "Pretty sure that one had eyes for you."

Cinder's smile widened.

"All the more we can turn to our advantage…"

 **Back in Vale…**

Esmerelda pushed open the door to Tukson's Book Trade followed closely by Ruby and Penny. She remembered Horatio mentioning how much Blake adored their selection. The girls had been searching all morning and early afternoon; even Penny had joined their search team.

It was Penny that solidified what Esmerelda had been thinking since Ruby revealed that Blake had been a member of the White Fang…she was a Faunus. What kind she didn't know and didn't care, how many times Esmerelda thought that simple bow on Blake's head hid so much….

They had split into teams to scour the city. Ruby went with Esmerelda and Penny and Weiss with Yang searched from her motorcycle 'Bumblebee.'

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun!"

"Hi," Esmerelda greeted him politely. "I was wondering if you saw Blake today, I heard she frequents here."

Tukson looked her over, seeming to be analyzing her…especially the scimitar at her hip.

"Who is looking for her?"

"Her friends sir," Ruby was the one to answer. "She hasn't been seen since last night. We thought she might be in Vale."

Tukson leaned over the desk, looming over her.

 _He is quite tall._

"I wish I could help," he said at length, apparently content with their explanation. "Unfortunately I haven't seen her since early yesterday when she stopped by with a friend."

"Was the friend's name Horatio?"

"That's the one, good kid, really appreciates fine literature."

"That was before she went missing," Esmerelda replied, sighing heavily. Another dead end.

Ruby looked miserable.

"Why did they have to argue," she mused, slumping into one of the reading chairs near the desk. "If only we had never brought up the White Fang."

"White Fang?!" Tukson's ears popped up. "What does this have to do with the White Fang?"

"It was stupid," she repeated. "Weiss…another friend had a…difference of opinion with Blake over them. With all the Dust robberies that have been going on…one thing led to another…. Blake was certain the White Fang had nothing to do with them."

Tukson leaned in closer so no one else could hear him, despite no one else actually being in the store.

"Look, I know Blake; you didn't hear this from me but… Blake doesn't just sit on her hands. If she feels something is going on or if her friends are in danger…if she is REALLY looking into these robberies…then I might suggest hanging around the docks after dark…just a thought."

The three women just stared at him, afraid to move or even blink with the look he was giving them.

With that he returned to his upright position, his face softening as if he hadn't said anything at all.

"Now…may I interest any of you ladies in some romance novels? I am currently having a buy two get the third free sale; I recommend The Beauty and the Grimm and Violet's Garden."

 **Back at the gym…**

Jaune slumped to his knees exhausted. Pyrrha had been training him all morning and he had reached his limit.

"I…I can't…" he gasped.

"Take a break, you've certainly earned it," Pyrrha congratulated, her voice full of pride.

Jaune popped open a water bottle, chugging more than half of it in one gulp. Pyrrha was amazing, it was only a few days since she had agreed to train him but he felt better than ever before. They had initially been training at night on the rooftop; Pyrrha had dragged him up there and laid out her request.

The first night had nearly ended in disaster, he had confided in her that he had faked his papers to get into Beacon…that he didn't deserve her attention to train, told her what he had not told anyone else. He had barely finished when Cardin showed up on the roof, Pyrrha heard him coming and had dragged Jaune behind the radiator; he had no clue how Cardin had missed them.

They were stuck like that, crammed in that space for what felt like an eternity, he must have apologized to her a dozen times whispering under his breath. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but notice how close she was…she was so beautiful, an amazing fighter, kind and generous, and so beautiful…and those green eyes…

He was so focused on her he almost didn't hear it when Horatio and Cardin had gone over the side, but they made it just in time.

Jaune and Pyrrha were two of the few who knew what happened on the roof, and the affect it had on him. Since that day Cardin was like a new person, even going so far as to apologize to Jaune just the next day, granted that was all he said to him.

Jaune felt confidence he hadn't in…..probably ever. He had agreed to train with her that night, he even took up Horatio on his offer to work out with him and his team to build up his strength, they were right…everything is more enjoyable with friends.

 _There must be some good in everyone_

"Jaune?"

He snapped back to reality, Pyrrha was in front of him, her piercing green eyes looking into his.

"Are you alright? I was worried you might be passing out on us."

"I-I'm alright," he assured, taking a sip from his water to act nonchalant.

"That is excellent to hear. If you would like we can continue…or you can take the rest of the day off."

Jaune looked at her, she was close again, not quite as close as up on the roof but still pretty close. He was exhausted, but didn't want his time with her to end.

"How about we both take the rest of the day off?"

"Wh-what?"

"Why don't we head out and…get something to eat? It can be my treat, consider it a thank you for putting up with me."

"That….sounds lovely." She visibly blushed; even Jaune could not miss it.

Unbeknownst to them Nora and Ren had abandoned their gym equipment and were hiding around the corner. Ren's hand over Nora's mouth was the only thing preventing her from screaming for joy.

 **The Docks….**

Ruby and Esmerelda leaned against a wall; they had been walking around for hours with no sign of Blake. Penny continued on searching, she didn't even look winded.

 _Another Horatio on our hands,_ Esmerelda chuckled. _Unlimited energy._

Yang and Weiss were still searching other parts of Vale as they had been all day, no sense in everyone scoping out the docks in case Mr. Tukson had been incorrect.

Ruby was resting her feet sitting on top of a box, swaying them back and forth to get the blood flowing again. She had just finished chapter three of "The Beauty and the Grimm."

"Maybe that Tukson guy was wrong."

Esmerelda looked up and down the docks; there was still a lot of ground to cover. She had no idea that Vale had so many warehouses and ports for ships. What they had seen when the other representatives had disembarked was just a fraction.

"We'll find her," Esmerelda assured her. "I just wish she would have trusted us to help her with…whatever she is trying to do."

"Blake's been like that…she is a member of the team but has always been a bit…distant."

"It can be hard to trust," Esmerelda spoke from experience. Back at her previous academy there had been far too many Cardin Winchesters…so much hate. She probably would have dropped out had she not met Olivia. And now she had met Ruby….the two could have been sisters. "If she was a member of the White Fang then she's seen the worst of humanity…and the Faunus. The best we can do is keep showing her what kind of people we are and that are out there."

She had learned Ruby was an absolutely pure girl without a mean bone in her body. If there was anyone who could show Blake the best part of humanity…it was her.

 _She can be to Blake what Olivia was to me…_

An explosion shook the area, breaking the calm between them. They both snapped their heads in its direction, a huge black plume of smoke rising from a warehouse in the distance.

"O no…" they muttered simultaneously.

It was absolute chaos by the time Ruby and Esmerelda arrived at the source of the explosion.

There was a small army of White Fang gathered around Schnee Company Dust shipping containers; they were unmistakable by their White Grimm Masks.

 _Blake was wrong…they are involved._

Blake was below, fighting against a tall man in a white coat and bowlers hat. Her ribbon had been removed revealing a pair of black cat ears. The leader of Team SSSN was fighting alongside her; despite the 2v1 odds the man was holding his own against them expertly.

Esmerelda's glance fell on Sun.

 _You could grate cheese off those magnificent abs…_

"Roman Torchwick," Ruby gritted her teeth.

"The fugitive all of Remnant is after?" Esmerelda asked, shaking her head and snapping back to reality, remembering the wanted signs. "I'll help them out, cover us from up here!"

With that last word she jumped down, sprinting full speed towards her friends.

Three White Fang soldiers stepped between her and them; two had swords drawn and the third opened fire with a pistol.

Esmerelda dodged what bullets she could and deflected the rest, drawing her weapon and extending it to six feet in length.

She spun it over her head and caught both attackers' blades on it. While they were pulling back for another swing she flipped over their heads, gripping the back end of her staff she spun in a circle, clipping both of their backs as she landed. A final butt to each of their heads with the blunt end of her Naginata ensured they would not get back up anytime soon.

The third aimed to fire again now that his comrades were on the ground and out of the way but did not have a chance. A bullet zipped through Esmerelda's hair, striking him in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, body twitching as electricity surged through his body.

Ruby cheered behind her very pleased with herself.

The way clear, Esmerelda leapt into the fray against Roman Torchwick.

He had just finished knocking Blake to the side and was currently parrying Sun who had split his bowstaff into twin nunchucks each firing round after round of shotgun shells. None hit their mark.

Esmerelda brought her Naginata down behind Roman, but he sidestepped and parried, kicking her in the stomach while her weapon was locked up.

While Esmerelda recovered Roman parried Sun's attacks, bringing up a high kick which forced him backwards to a safe distance.

Esmerelda leapt in again unleashing a flurry of swings mixed with pirouettes and flips to throw him off balance, but Roman kept up. He moved very little yet seemed to anticipate where her swings would come from and block them at each turn. She had never fought such a frustrating opponent, she was certain every attack would connect only for it to be knocked aside at the last possible moment.

Esmerelda winced in pain as he stepped closer, catching her wrist with his cane and knocking her weapon from her grasp.

Roman slipped behind her, pinning her between himself and his cane by her neck. Blake and Sun instantly stopped their advance as he squeezed, clicking his tongue chidingly.

"Now now little kitty…monkey boy. I'd back up if I were you, wouldn't want anything to happen to your pretty little friend here."

Esmerelda struggled but he was too strong, she could feel his cane pressing on her windpipe, it was getting harder to breathe. The pain was becoming unbearable, all she could do was close her eyes…and concentrate.

"One false move and I snap her neck like a twig," he announced. "And make sure little red up there comes down as well."

Ruby complied, giving Roman the biggest scowl she could muster. Slowly she approached Blake and Sun with her Crescent Rose held above her head, each of them afraid to move.

"Now…I want you to place your weapons on the gr…"

His last breath caught in his throat as he felt a blade press against it, a second soon joining it from the opposite side.

 _No way,_ Roman thought to himself. _The brats had MORE backup? How did we miss them?_

He loosened his grip on Esmerelda and raised his hands, letting her slip away coughing and gasping for breath. Slowly he turned to his left to see who had dared to threaten him.

No one was there, only Esmerelda's Naginata greeted him, floating in mid-air. The same was true for the second blade on his right, though Roman could clearly see her weapon he had disarmed still resting out of reach on the ground.

Both weapons floated on his sides with their blades still at his throat…but they seemed different. They were glowing bright purple matching Esmerelda's Aura, more than glowing they WERE the purple energy.

"Woah," Sun stared in awe. "You can make Aura copies of your weapons? That is awesome!"

"With all the mass and edge of the original," she smiled at Roman smugly, retrieving the original he had knocked aside and giving it a twirl.

"How many of you weirdo kids are there?" Roman asked rhetorically. "Can someone kill them already?"

On queue the White Fang who had been watching the exchange charged towards them, there had to be at least a dozen or two. In the distance two airships took off, leaving the Dust containers behind. They let loose a hail of machine gun fire in their direction.

Thinking fast, Esmerelda recalled her Aura copies from Roman's neck. Two more formed around her and joined the first, attaching into a cross-shape and spinning at incredible speeds, becoming a shield.

Roman tipped his hat off to her and turned to flee in the direction of a third airship preparing for take off

The spinning blades deflected every bullet hurled at them, protecting Ruby, Sun and Blake behind them.

A deafening boom parted the air in front of them, a green beam of energy shot over their heads into the oncoming airships. With seemingly no effort the beam cleaved the airships in two, each half flying over their heads with what momentum remained before crashing into the ground beyond.

The four students turned around, Penny had arrived and was the source of the energy blast.

"I am combat ready!" She proclaimed again, now surrounded by a dozen custom blades Esmerelda did not recognize.

 _I must get the name of her smith._

The blades were controlled by imperceptibly thin wires, however to an untrained eye her technique was almost the same as Esmerelda's with the blades seemingly floating around her acting as both shield and sword.

Penny hopped down to join them, the White Fang soldiers had hesitated upon seeing their air support crushed, but with no way out they had begun their approach again.

"We got this," Esmerelda assured them. "Penny, I'll go low, you hit high?"

"Roger!"

Esmerelda realigned her spinning blades horizontally from the ground, hovering them barely a foot from the pavement. Penny formed her blades into a similar spinning circle positioned the same roughly five feet above the ground.

With a satisfying grunt the two girls hurled their disks of blades at the oncoming soldiers.

There was no dodging, whether the soldiers tried to jump over or duck under there was no opening. The spinning blades barreled through them like bowling pins, the soldiers were flung through the air, closelined or had their legs clipped out from under them. Within a matter of seconds they were all unconscious or groaning in pain on the ground. They had been so bunched together that few escaped and those that dodged the first were caught as the blades came back to return to their owners.

As the girls began their cheers the only sour note in their victory were the remaining airships in the distance. They were too far gone to catch, though they could make out Roman's shape in the hatch of the closest, waving goodbye with his cane as it closed.

"Blake!" Ruby shouted, rushing up and hugging her recovered teammate.

Blake looked confused and uncomfortable at first, but after a few moments reciprocated the hug, ignoring the sound of police sirens approaching in the distance.

 **Not long after…**

The authorities had taken statements from everybody and were currently in the process of apprehending the White Fang members present. No doubt they had already contacted Beacon to let them know they had a few of their students.

Penny was gone; she had been escorted by several of the officers for questioning and hadn't come back. Ruby received a scroll message that she was ok and on her way to rendezvous with the rest of her team.

It was not long until Weiss and Yang pulled up on Bumblebee, the officers were already advised to let them pass.

"Ruby! Blake!" Yang called out, pulling her little sister into a hug as soon as she was within reach. "Thank goodness you're ok."

"Never…better," Ruby croaked out, slowing being crushed by Yang's hug.

"Do you have ANY idea how worried we were?" Weiss turned to Blake.

Esmerelda slowly took a step back and turned to leave, she shouldn't be here for a private moment between teammates.

A hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her stealthy escape.

Blake slowly tugged her back to the group.

"I…shouldn't," Esmerelda protested. "I'm not on your team."

"You're our friend," Blake smiled, the bow on her head bobbing happily. "That's what matters."

"We have been searching for you for 12 hours!" Weiss continued. "That has given me a lot of time to think! All I want to know is that the NEXT time something this big comes up…you'll come to your teammates…your friends."

 _First Cardin…now Weiss….is everyone at our school having changes of heart and epiphanies at such a young age?_

Blake wiped away a single tear before nodding.

"Whoooo! Team RWBY is back together! Don't think you are getting away either!" Ruby pulled everyone together into a big group hug, roping Esmerelda in as well.

Sun just stood there smiling awkwardly. He was ok with this.

"I still don't know how I feel about you!" Weiss snapped at him as if she had sensed his calm and sought to shatter it.

All Sun could do was chuckle awkwardly.

 **Back at the Dormitories…**

Horatio laid down his pencils, it was dark out but he could not have been more awake. He had finally finished their group team portrait.

Everything had turned out perfect; it only took a few tries to get the details down right. He would have the image uploaded so he could make copies and have one sent to each team….after framing of course.

Drawing others always calmed Horatio and filled him with a great sense of accomplishment. There was something far more personal about saving a moment in time yourself rather than relying on a camera.

He flipped through his individual rough sketches of the kingdom representatives. They would only be at beacon a few months for the duration of the festival and tournament so he figured it would be best to start on theirs and circle back to complete the individual Beacon students later.

 _Maybe I can complete our entire graduating class before the end of our time here._

He flipped through the ones he had started from the docks, he would have to stop by each of the teams to welcome them again and have better references to finish the sketches. His hope was to have all of theirs done and presented to them as gifts to remember their stay at Beacon.

His heart skipped a beat as he reached Team CRMS, more specifically their leader Cinder's drawing. He was too embarrassed to admit he had worked on their team's more than any of the other kingdom representatives so far.

 _This must be how Roland felt when he first met Yang._

Frustration welled up within him as he erased her eyes. Just like with Ruby he could not seem to get them right.

 _I have to be doing something wrong,_ he thought to himself.

Each time he completed her eyes he could feel a shiver go down his spine. They seemed so cold and piercing, like she was looking into his very soul with such malice. Each time he re-drew them it seemed to get worse.

 _That can't be right. I didn't get a feel like that at all from her. As if someone that terrifying could exist in real life…_

 **The White Fang and Roman Torchwick have been stopped in Vale for now. The second semester begins as the Vytal Festival draws ever closer.**

 **That's it for season 1 of RWBY Heroes. I am hoping to continue into the rest of the series (Possibly even make Chibi chapters). For now, read and review…but most of all enjoy.**


	9. Eyes on the Prize

**Season 2 of RWBY Heroes begins…mostly a fun chapter for one of my favorite moments of the show. So there is no confusion, any scenes not showcased would have occurred the same as they did in the main canon. I hope you all are continuing to enjoy the tale…**

 **Beacon Cafeteria…**

Olivia eagerly finished her breakfast, the day had just started and there was no time to lose on insignificant details like eating.

Esmerelda sat beside her and Roland on the other side. Horatio was not there as he had to make another excursion into Vale and had left early. The mood was cheerful, various conversations were scattered throughout the filled room ranging from family visits to training sessions. By popular demand Ms. Goodwitch had organized a miniature sparring class among volunteering students and representatives that would be held later that day.

Ruby was busy preparing her team for what she called the best day ever. If the 2-ton binder Ruby had appropriated from Weiss was anything to go by they were in for some fun.

Team JNPR was enjoying breakfast across from Team RWBY. Ren was eating his pancakes in peace while Nora was playfully throwing food at Yang to see if she could catch them in her mouth, so far she hadn't missed one. Jaune and Pyrrha were reading a comic together, noticeably sitting closer and laughing as they did so.

The biggest surprise to them was across the room where Team CRDL made their home. Amazingly…Cardin was sitting separate from his team who still appeared to be as broody as ever. Cardin on the other hand was sitting with none other than Velvet who was also separated from her Team CFVY. Both teams seemed to be watching their interaction closely.

Rumors had circulated the last couple days that the two were spending a lot more time together with reasons ranging from love at first sight to Cardin having something over Velvet. The latter rumor was no doubt the reason for CFVY's interest in their time together.

Olivia smiled, she was sure that wasn't the case. She had seen Velvet's face when she was afraid of Cardin…that face was a thing of the past. She was sitting with him and talking, though she was too far to hear what they were saying it was clear Velvet was laughing every so often and even occasionally slid some food over for Cardin to try. Though he looked incredibly uncomfortable he was returning her smile and his seem to brighten each time she laughed.

 _Horatio was right…there is good in everyone…_

The team would definitely be there for the sparring sessions, Horatio had been practically giddy about fighting Mercury.

 _Thought he would have much rather tried to get a match against that Cinder girl._

Olivia giggled; she was terrible but couldn't help herself. In fact everywhere she looked did nothing but bring her joy.

Until her eyes fell on Nora, currently in the process of aiming a full sized pie at Weiss.

"Noooooooo!"

 **Downtown Vale…**

Emerald and Mercury were walking down the streets of Vale. The sun was shining; birds were singing…it was enough to make them sick. They had heard that a deserter from the White Fang had set up shop in the area and may make a run for Vacuo…they couldn't allow that…

"Oooo Emerald, Master Thief, please don't take my money, I barely have enough to get by," Mercury mocked, making puppy dog eyes and holding his hands together in prayer.

Emerald only scowled at him and continued walking.

"You're no fun today," Mercury sighed, returning to his normal demeanor and following behind.

"Here is the place," Emerald pushed open the door, Mercury close behind.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun! How may I help you today?"

Emerald and Mercury just stood there with jaws open and blank expressions.

"Horatio! What are you doing here?"

The Leader of Team HERO stood near the front door, a stack of books in each hand he had yet to put in their proper place. He was wearing a dark blue vest with the letters "TBT etched on the front complete with name tag.

"I had no idea you guys came here," he lowered the books to the ground. "I figured we had another week before second semester starts so I decided to help out for a few days."

"Who is it?" A gruff voice called out from the backroom.

"Just a few friends from Beacon Mr. Tukson!" Horatio called back. "I got this one! So…" he turned back to Mercury and Emerald. "What brings you here today?"

"Um…" Mercury just stared; he was not prepared for any witnesses much less one who knew his face to be there.

 _How are we supposed to take out Tukson now? We'll probably need to kill him too._

"Just looking for some books," Emerald intercepted for the save. "Have any recommendations?"

Horatio's face lit up, she had said the magic words.

"More than you could read before the end of the Vytal Festival, any genre in particular? Grimm-Heroes? Techno Fantasy? Horror?"

"How about…Romantic Thrillers?"

Mercury stifled a laugh.

Horatio teleported to a shelf and appeared again holding several books, Dr. Oobleck would have been proud.

"Underappreciated genre, not many huntsman heroes which are the in-thing right now. If you are looking for a light read there is always 'The Sais of Passion,' a tale of a noble warrior who joins his very enemies out of love. If you want something a little denser we just got the latest in the 'Howling at the Moon' series."

"So…you like to read those kinds of books?" Emerald asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I-I wouldn't be much of a connoisseur of the fine arts if I neglected any particular category. My personal favorites are those grounded in or inspired by historical events," he rationalized, hoping they would not press further.

She and Olivia would get along…p _robably best not to mention these were favorites of Blake…she had convinced him to give them a try._

"Um…I guess I'll try The…Sais of Passion." She lowered her voice at the word Sais to a more seductive tone and took a step towards him.

"I'll ring it right up," Horatio blurted nervously out as she got closer, hopping behind the cash register in a flash. "Hardcover or paperback?"

"Hardcover."

Emerald paid for the book without any further tortures of the poor man, dropping it into the tote bag he had provided engraved with the letters 'TBT.' Messing with him was too much fun.

"By the way," Horatio beckoned them over after they had the book. "You guys showing up today is perfect, I have something for you."

As Emerald and Mercury leaned closer he presented a framed portrait of Team CRMS from his bag.

They were all wearing their Haven uniforms in a wide open field, Cinder stood in the center, left hand on her hip, her right hanging at her side. She was flanked by Emerald and Mercury on either side with Mercury resting a hand on her shoulder while Emerald gave a thumbs up over the other. Ray stood in the front leaning forward on her closed umbrella.

"I finished the coloring last night. I wish those Haven uniforms allowed for more flare. Yours was the first team I completed. I hope I did you justice."

Emerald and Mercury just stared at it for several seconds occasionally glancing back and forth at each other.

The looks on Portrait Mercury and Emerald unnerved them; they doubted that either of them had ever smiled so…serenely in their entire lives. It was also obvious that Cinder seemed slightly more detailed than the rest of them. Not only that, but Portrait Cinder looked….wrong to them. They had rarely seen her without a sinister smile when she was getting her way or a scowl of anger when crossed. In the portrait her face was…happy, her mouth open ever so slightly as if she was about to say something. And the eyes…the eyes seemed so carefree…

"Its….nice," Mercury finally said quickly.

"Why don't you smile like that more often?" Emerald teased, eliciting a shoulder check from Mercury.

"I hope the rest of your team likes it," Horatio finished proudly. "I'll be making team portraits for all the Vytal Tournament participant teams and I even got approval to have a stall opened during the festival to do individual portraits."

"That will be fun," Emerald laughed. "Cinder should love that, she is a big fan of the arts."

Horatio's face blushed a deep red; it took everything she had not to laugh.

"Th-that's great to hear!" he finally managed, his voice starting as a squeak before returning to normal.

"We'll put this somewhere nice," Mercury assured him as the two left, waving goodbye they departed the shop.

"I'll see you at the sparring session tonight!"

Horatio's heart nearly stopped as he turned around, Mr. Tukson was suddenly standing right behind him.

"Geez! Sorry sir I did not see you there."

"You said those were friends of yours?" He asked in a gruff whisper.

Horatio noticed he was breathing heavier, his eyes never left the door the two had just closed.

"I would like to think so…they only arrived for the tournament the other day from Haven."

"I see…be careful kid…." That was all he would say before returning to his filing.

His Faunus claws had extended…his hands shaking….

 **Outside…**

 **"** Well that was a bust," Mercury mused, throwing his arms up in defeat. "What are the odds he would be there?"

"Maybe not a complete bust," Emerald muttered, looking over the portrait.

 _He's really good…I might have to find his stall at the festival before we implement the plan._

"He's like a love-struck puppy," she laughed. It had been a long time since Emerald had seen any man's interest in a woman be so innocent. "We'll tell Cinder, she will decide how best to proceed. Even if we went back after he left Horatio would notice Tukson meeting an unfortunate end."

"Whatever you say I guess. Can I see that book?"

Emerald tossed Mercury 'The Sais of Passion,' he started reading as the two made their way to the business district…Emerald still admiring the portrait.

 **Beacon Academy…**

There was carnage wherever she turned, Esmerelda crawled along the red-soaked ground, the forms of other students who had stood up to them and failed littered the area.

Esmerelda stopped as she felt a hand grip weakly at her ankle, a low groan of her name.

"Olivia!" she called out, cradling the form of her fallen teammate. "This wasn't supposed to happen! If only Horatio was here! Just hold on…we can get you behind the fortifications…"

"It's…ok…Ezzy," she replied weakly, holding out a hand to her that didn't quite reach Esmerelda's face. "Just…get…that traitor….who did this."

Her hand fell limply to the ground and did not stir.

"ROLAND!" Esmerelda called out, her voice echoing throughout the room as more tomatoes, bread and other assorted foods flew back and forth across the cafeteria.

"Justice will be swift…justice will be painful….IT WILL BE DELICIOUS!" Ruby cried out to the cheers of her team behind her.

"Love is a bond beyond life and loyalty!" Roland cried as he chucked another set of pumpkins to Yang who hurtled them across the room, the first clocking Jaune with Nora expertly dispatching the second.

"Thanks honey!" Yang called out, quite proud of herself that she had brought Roland over to their side of the Grand Beacon Food Fight. He had swiftly proved his loyalty by catching Olivia with a barrage of mashed potatoes she could not deflect in time.

"The stains….will never come out…bleh" Olivia groaned weakly before returning to her 'dead' position.

Esmerelda laid Olivia's 'dead' body on the ground, reaching to either side she caught a pair of baguettes hurled her way. Using a broken table leg she fused them together into a double-bladed baguette sword and charged.

"Shield wall!" Yang cried. "Prepare for hand to hand combat!"

Roland scooped up a nearby food tray and hooked his arm into it, a fine replacement shield.

Jaune and Pyrrha did likewise to obtain their own shields. Pyrrha claimed another nearby baguette while Jaune had a large drumstick in his hand.

Weiss and Blake charged alongside Roland, a swordfish for Weiss and a string of hot dogs for Blake.

Jaune and Roland clashed their trays, each growling at the other as menacingly as they could muster…which was not very threatening. Jaune swung his drumstick only for Roland to duck, allowing Blake to clip him with the hot dogs. This sent Jaune flying back towards the makeshift fort of tables and chairs Nora had constructed towering nearly to the ceiling.

With a nod Roland claimed Jaune's fallen drumstick and turned to face Pyrrha.

Weiss and Nora engaged each other, as Ren claimed a pair of leeks and ran to meet Yang who had a pair of cooked turkeys to replace her gauntlets.

Yang started swinging, Ren parrying one after the other. After several seconds Yang switched it up and raised her leg for a high kick. Ren blocked her kick with the leeks but came too late to the realization of what just happened.

 _She just high kicked….in a skirt…_

Against his will Ren's eyes instinctively lowered towards her skirt, a growing look of shock etching onto his face….Yang smiling mischievously.

Before Ren's eyes could complete their journey, a drumstick hurtled through the air clocking him in the side of the head and sending him flying, burying Ren in a pile of overturned tables.

"I'm Sorry!" Roland called out, not really sorry seconds before Pyrrha's tray shield collided with his head.

Weiss went flying as Nora clobbered her with a Watermelon hammer, forcing Ruby and Blake to pull back to check on her with Nora giving chase. Esmerelda now faced Yang alone.

"Mwahahaha!" Yang called out, her voice as shrill and high pitched as she could make it. "I have claimed your knight and soon this castle shall fall!"

"For the lives and uniforms you've ruined!" Esmerelda cried, laying it on thick. "I will end your reign here and now!"

Esmerelda started spinning her double-baguette and charged, Yang returned in kind.

Ducking her first swing, Esmerelda aimed for Yang's legs, but she was too quick. She jumped over her and brought her Turkey-covered fist down hard barely missing Esmerelda's head.

Yang continued laughing maniacally as she swung again and again, each swing getting closer. Finally she connected with Esmerelda's arm, sending her weapon careening out the window.

Jumping back she raised her open hands, smiling as her purple Aura glowed bright around her.

Six more identical double-baguette swords shimmered into existence and surrounded her menacingly.

Yang's look paled as her eyes went wide.

"Uh oh."

The six weapons flew at Yang, assaulting her from every angle. It took everything she had to limit the number of blows she took. Finally she was pushed back away from the table-fortress and rendezvoused with Ruby who was still 'mourning' Weiss' defeat. Pyrrha had pulled back as well though it was more to check on Jaune as Roland was still picking himself up off the ground after challenging her.

That is when Ruby stepped in.

With a deafening sonic boom she activated her speed semblance, disappearing into a cyclone of wind and rose petals…a cyclone aimed right at Team JNPR.

They could only stare in awe as the cyclone picked up speed along with every scrap of food and anything not tied down. Soon Team JNPR was enveloped in its winds, each member blown backwards at incredible speeds…Esmerelda getting sucked in as well.

They slammed into Nora's Table-fortress Castle, sending the various objects scattering in all directions. Team JNPR plus Esmerelda were plastered to the back wall, completely covered from head to toe in every color of stain imaginable.

"Wow, I guess your sister has a real….snack for combat," Yang just rubbed Roland's head softly in response.

"I am so proud of you." Her smile made Roland remind himself his heinous food-related betrayal was all worth it.

Only now did they notice that Sun had entered the cafeteria during the fight and hung back to remain completely unscathed. It was obvious he was watching Blake fight; he had eyes for no other.

His friend on the other hand was not so lucky. The blue-haired boy, Neptune, who had been tied and blindfolded at the docks, was standing beside him. It appeared he had taken a soda-grenade point blank as his entire jacket and face were covered in purple. He did not look happy.

"I love these guys," he cheered to Neptune, completely oblivious to his friend's disheveled state.

Cardin Winchester had also taken refuge near the entrance, though it seemed everything including the kitchen sink had struck him. He was covered head to toe in ketchup, soda, whip cream, mayonnaise and other toppings that were unrecognizable in their current state. The only clean part of his body appeared to be his eyes as they blinked open once the carnage had ended. Despite the punishment he had endured he had not moved.

The reason why became clear as Velvet hesitantly poked her head out from behind him. She had retreated to the doors as well. Thanks to Cardin's meat-shield status she was pristine without a single hair out of place. She quickly pulled out some napkins and started dabbing at him, uncertain where to begin.

The doors to the main hall flew open with a bang signaling the arrival of Ms. Goodwitch, she did not look pleased.

Without saying a word she raised her riding crop and swung it once. Every mess, scrap of food and knocked over or broken table began to reform and move. It was a sight to behold as the entire chaotic mess that was the remains of the cafeteria began to realign themselves into how they had been prior to the first shots being fired.

In a matter of seconds the room was pristine again, even the stains had been cleaned save for those on the students themselves.

"Students….please," Ms. Goodwitch stressed as she adjusted her glasses. "Do NOT play with your food!"

 **Later that day…**

Ms. Goodwitch was surprisingly lenient on the students who participated in the food fight. The only immediate punishment would be their exclusion from the afternoon sparring session. Yang and Nora groaned in disappointment.

The outside courtyard had been cleared for the matches. Rather than hold one match at a time as would be done for the Vytal Festival, they had each pair of combatants in their own zone fighting simultaneously.

Dozens of students from all over Remnant sparred, testing new moves and the waters of what would be their competition in the Vytal Tournament. Most were short sessions as the participants did not want to give away their secrets too soon. The only match that interested Team HERO, RWBY and JNPR, however, was that between Horatio and Mercury.

Team CRMS had gathered on the sidelines as well, even Ray had braved the outdoors now that the sun was setting behind the clouds.

"You got this Mercury!" Emerald called out as her teammate entered the field. Cinder and Ray only leaned back and watched.

Olivia was oddly silent; her eyes were closed and was resting her head on her hand.

"You ok?" Roland asked concerned.

"I am fine," she assured him without opening her eyes. "Just a splitting headache…I'm sure it'll pass."

"Show them not to mess with Beacon!" Yang screamed.

Esmerelda and Roland waved Team HERO flags cheering him on courtesy of Team RWBY's hidden connections.

Horatio bowed to Mercury who reciprocated the gesture.

"You owe me a free book if I win." Mercury smirked as he took up a fighting stance.

"Deal," Horatio smiled, dropping low into his own stance. He didn't even think to ask what he'd get if he won, the chance to see fighters outside of Beacon was reward enough.

"And I'll be sure to tell our good leader the kind of novels you recommend."

"Wha?" Horatio started to say, smoke billowing from his ears.

"Aaannndd….Begin!" Ms. Goodwitch shouted, bringing her hand down to start the match.

Mercury pushed off the ground and flew at Horatio twisting his body into a spinning kick.

Horatio regained his composure and raised his arm, blocking the kick as he twisted his hand to try and grab Mercury's leg.

"Ah ah ah," Mercury sneered as he brought his second leg up and caught Horatio in the head.

Horatio barely flinched, instead grabbing his second leg as well as his first by the ankles.

Mercury's eyes went wide with surprise.

With a leg firmly in each hand Horatio lifted Mercury up and slammed him into the ground again and again as if he were shaking out a dusty carpet.

Mercury audibly growled, planting his hands on the ground he pulled back with his legs. With impressive leg strength he lifted Horatio into the air and threw him across the field.

Horatio rebounded, sinking his fingers into the ground as he fell and gripping to prevent a ring out. He got to his feet while brushing the dirt from his hands.

Mercury allowed him to get up before charging again, bringing his right foot up for a full power kick.

Horatio did not even try to dodge; he met the charge with his own, replying with a powerful punch. The two blows collided, sending out a shockwave that blew a gust of wind through the growing number of students watching.

Neither of them hesitated, Mercury began unleashing a flurry of kicks without stopping even once.

Horatio was amazed but had no time to appreciate it. Mercury was faster than him, that much was certain. For every kick he blocked or parried another three hit their mark. He ducked and dodged as best he could, but there was no evading the seemingly unlimited number of blows. After a few seconds he crossed his arms in a defensive form and held.

From any angle it appeared Mercury was dominating the match. Horatio swung back but Mercury parried the blows with his arm or kicked his fists to the side. He would drop low, performing a break-dance spin which pummeled Horatio's gut only to then leap up and knee him right in the jaw.

"Man, Horatio is taking a beating," students muttered from the crowd.

"Mercury is amazing…"

"I thought he was invincible?"

"They are taking this so seriously…."

 _They have no idea,_ Roland thought to himself, glancing to the side he could tell Olivia and Esmerelda thought the same based on the smiles on their faces.

 _No one understands how invincible Team HERO's Captain Horatio really is._

Mercury followed up his flourishes with a powerful kick, slamming his leg down on Horatio's shoulder hard before jumping away.

"So…if you give up now I'll try to pick a cheap boo…."

Mercury's smug expression twisted into confusion as the dust settled…Horatio was still standing…more than that he did not have a single mark on his body other than his ruffled clothing.

"You have some heavy feet for how fast you are," Horatio muttered, shaking his hands as if they were numb. "Did your father incorporate multiple martial art leg styles into the technique?"

Without waiting for an answer Horatio charged again…but this time he was faster, clearing the distance between them in a single push from his back foot.

Mercury dodged at the last moment, swinging his feet around only to find empty air. Horatio had ducked under them, planting his feet he buried both his hands in an open-palm strike into Mercury's chest sending him flying.

Mercury hit the edge of the crowd which included just about every student there. They caught and pushed him back into the field and proceeded to back up, giving them more room.

"I think Mercury is getting mad," Emerald pointed out with a smile, eliciting a cheerful nod from Ray. She was loving every second of it.

Cinder only stared, an eyebrow raised as they continued. She hadn't seen Mercury pushed so hard in a long time much less against a first year student…she was quite interested now.

Mercury ran in, his face contorted in frustration as he performed a running leap into Horatio's head.

Horatio sidestepped him, but Mercury saw it coming, twisting mid-air he brought his right heel down on Horatio's head with a loud crash. No student nearby could help but flinch.

He did not get a second kick, seemingly unfazed by the skull-shattering blow Horatio brought his own leg up high and caught Mercury in the chest mid-air with an immensely powerful kick. Mercury growled, preparing to twist his body and catch Horatio in the side of the head again….possibly even aim for the throat.

His gaze caught Cinder's who gave him the slightest of head shakes unnoticed by anyone else.

Mercury instead relaxed and allowed the momentum of Horatio's kick to carry him over the crowd, plummeting onto the hard ground.

"Winner…Horatio Soplar," Ms. Goodwitch announced as Horatio leaned forward panting heavily, the crowd still cheering for him.

"Way to go!" Olivia called, running up and enveloping him in a bear hug.

"Didn't see that coming," Emerald remarked as she sauntered over to Mercury…not overly quickly to see if he was alright.

Mercury coughed as he got to his feet, glancing at the pad Ms. Goodwitch was carrying he scowled worse than ever. According to the readout his Aura level was down to 30% while Horatio's was still topped off.

 _But he barely touched me…and how is he still at full?_

"Those moves were incredible," Horatio complimented as he ran up to his opponent. "I could barely follow your movements at first. I didn't think it was possible for legs to move that fast. I should start incorporating mine into my technique more."

Mercury warped his scowl into one of feigning pain before Horatio saw it. Pretending to be worse off he limped over to him leaning on Emerald.

"You got me…guess I'll have to pay for my own literature. What are you made of anyway?"

Horatio tapped himself on the top of the head several times where Mercury's final kick had landed with his fist. "Skull of steel," he chuckled. "That's what my friends used to say."

"Hmmmm, talented AND strong," Cinder approached him. Her hips seemed to sway with each step, requiring Horatio to lock his eyes onto hers to prevent them from wandering. "I heard you were doing…personal portraits at the Vytal Festival…..no?"

"No?….YES!" Horatio blurted out, finally understanding her question. "My b-booth will be open starting the 2nd day of the Vytal Festival when my team isn't competing."

Roland started to back away, Esmerelda and Olivia following suit.

"She moves fast," Esmerelda whispered to the others who could do nothing but nod quickly an affirmative.

"That's so far away," she took a step closer. "You did so well on our team portrait I wanted one all to myself. Perhaps you could start early?"

 _No way can he say no to that,_ Emerald thought. She and Mercury had also backed up to a respectable distance.

Horatio's mind was racing, checking his schedule for any minor plan or previous engagement that could have potentially interfered with her request. He smiled shyly as he confirmed there was none.

"We-we'd need good lighting. Sunrise or sunset work best but if those times aren't good what would you say to…"

"Sunset would be perfect," she interrupted. "Would the night after tomorrow work?"

"Y-yea," Horatio squeaked out, unable to contain his smile.

"It's a date then," Cinder whispered. Her voice was smooth and sultry. Between her voice and burning amber eyes Horatio was already entranced.

She turned and took her leave of the courtyard which was already emptying save for students who wanted to talk to Horatio. Ray followed close behind, Emerald and Mercury giving quick thumbs up to Horatio before doing the same.

"Wh-what just happened?" Horatio finally asked as she disappeared into the night.

Jaune just shrugged, he was just as baffled.

"I think you just got a hot date," Olivia responded bluntly, she could not stop smiling.

"No maybes about it," Yang confirmed. "Way to go lady killer. Guess she goes for the artist type…I didn't move that fast did I?" She looked to Roland for confirmation.

"Only on the path to my heart," he replied, taking a knee and kissing her hand.

"Pfft, women, you never know what they're gonna do…am I right?" Nora remarked from the back, Ren could only shake his head at the ground.

Horatio just stood there as students poured in with questions. He did not think he could be happier if he wanted to be.

 **Team CRMS Dormitory…**

"I am telling you there is something wrong with that kid," Mercury repeated. "At the start of the fight he was nothing, I tested him with that first kick. He was only a bit stronger than I was while holding back."

"You're just mad he beat you," Emerald chuckled, avoiding Mercury's return gaze.

"How much did you hold back?" Cinder asked her question quick and to the point.

"Quite a bit at first…but I kept adding more and more and he just somehow kept up with me and…."

"And…what?"

"I…may have poured everything I could into that last kick towards the end."

Mercury rolled up his pants, revealing the prosthetic legs he kept a secret responsible for his significant strength. The metal on the heel he had struck Horatio with was dented inward and would need repaired.

Emerald and Cinder were silent at that last statement as they stared at his damaged foot.

"You disobeyed me?" She asked, those amber eyes burrowing into Mercury's skull.

"No I…" he tried to explain. "I kept ramping up my strength until I could overpower him. Every time I hit him it seemed like I was just about to surpass him….but that never happened. It was like he was egging me on to keep swinging at an opening that wasn't there."

"Interesting…and here I thought Ms. Nikos would be the only one to watch out for in this school. Add him to the list as well."

Emerald pulled out her scroll and added Horatio's name and picture to a grid before storing it away.

"What about the bookie Roman let slip away?"

"Leave him be. We wouldn't want Horatio to think something was happening due to the death of his favorite librarian. The Grimm will take care of him in the end."

"I am sure you can beat him," Mercury added. "But you'll need to pour a lot of fuel on the fire to get past his defenses…whatever they are."

"Silly Mercury…it's not about overpowering your opponent…it's about taking away what power they have."

"But we still don't know how he is so…durable." Emerald chimed in. "All jokes aside Mercury is no pushover. From what the other students have been saying this kid has never even cracked a nail."

"Hasn't he?" Cinder brought her hands together and rested her chin on them. "He won't be able to keep his secrets…not from me."

 **Those desiring war and death take an interest in our heroes. Love and war loom on the horizon, which will emerge victorious? Read and Review, but most of all enjoy :)**


	10. Painting the Town

**The Semester continues….**

Olivia sat cross-legged on her bed focusing intently. She had been trying to expand the range of which she could shift herself out of other people's perceptions. She was currently maintaining a field around herself the size of their room with great effort…but it was getting easier.

 _Focus…don't try to do anything else, I am just staying out of their…._

 _YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!_

Olivia's focus shattered along with her field as the scream from her teammate reverberated in her head.

The door flung open, Esmerelda looking left and right before spotting her on the bed.

"You have to…"

"I heard you the first time," Olivia groaned. "She didn't mean to be so short with Ezzy but her migraine was still subsiding.

"But…I didn't say anything," Esmerelda replied confused. "Never mind, you have to look outside, it's amazing!"

Olivia followed Esmerelda to the front of their dormitory, with an enormous smile she pointed upward. Olivia's eyes burst into stars.

Three Atlesian Airships hovered overhead slowly performing landing procedures near the school. The ships were grand in size, each one almost as large as the ocean liner that had brought the Haven representatives. They were surrounded by numerous smaller fighters and Bullhead dropships setting down troops and other personnel.

"Atlas tech. is so beautiful," Olivia could not help but gush at their sight. "The sleek white…they could allow a bit more diversity but still…there's just something pure about it." She instinctively felt her rifle slung on her back. "I tried to emulate it as best I could on her." Atlas was famous for having the most advanced technology in all of Remnant. "Maybe they'll let me borrow equipment so I can upgrade!"

"And their discipline," while Olivia was watching the ships, Esmerelda was focused on the personnel deploying below. Each was marching in organized lines without a single one out of place. "You never see Grimm in organized formations like that. I wonder if General Ironwood is with them."

"Who?" Olivia was quite knowledgeable of Atlas Tech. but spent little time on who was using it.

"He's the Headmaster of Atlas' Academy; essentially he is Professor Ozpin's equivalent. Their schools and military are not separated like in Vale."

"The Headmaster of Atlas Academy? I doubt someone so important would have the spare time to just stop by. They are probably just dropping off the last group here for the Vytal Festival."

 **Professor Ozpin's Office…**

"Hello General," Ozpin stood at attention as he welcomed General Ironwood to his office for the first time in years.

General Ironwood was a tall man; he was middle-aged but wore it well. His hair had only just started to turn grey on the sides while the top remained the dark black it had always been. He wore the Atlas uniform as if he was born to it.

"Please…drop the formalities," he laughed, shaking Ozpin's hand. "It has been too long. And Glynda!" he turned his eyes to Ms. Goodwitch, ever at Professor Ozpin's side. "It has CERTAINLY been too long since we last met."

James Ironwood could not help but notice Glynda had scarcely aged a day since he last saw her. If only his duties did not keep him in Atlas so long.

 _I wonder if…_

"O James," she replied flatly, flipping her hand like she did when she was still a young girl at the Academy. "I'll be outside."

She walked past him and exited the room.

 _Yep, she's still mad._

"Well she hasn't changed a bit."

"So what brings you here James," Ozpin asked, handing him a cup of coffee. Ironwood saw fit to add some extra flavor from a round flask he kept in his jacket pocket.

"Well you know how much I love Vale this time of year…and with you hosting I was hoping for a chance to…catch up."

"Based on the presence of your small fleet I would assume this is in regards to Qrow's last message? Not that I would not appreciate time with old friends."

"You always did know me so well," Ironwood admitted. The last transmission they had received before Qrow went dark had warned them 'Queen has Pawns.' Ominous and vague…not the best qualities from a forward scout.

"And you conclude those pawns have found their way to Beacon?"

"It would make the most sense with the Vytal Festival coming up. I am already running thorough searches at my Academy and Leonardo has assured me he is doing the same at Haven. Even Shade Academy is…"

"I trust my students" Ozpin replied, his voice sterner than before. "If I thought they were working with her for even a moment…."

"I'm just saying…" Ironwood softened his tone. "We cannot take a single chance…do you truly believe your children can win a war?"

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee, for a moment contemplating asking James for a shot from his flask…but only for a moment.

"I do. I presume you read my last update."

"Of course I did….but I do not see how the presence of one young man..."

"One extraordinary young man," Ozpin corrected. "From an old huntsman family, his father too carried the title of Invincible…until his death under surprisingly common circumstances."

"Was he…?"

"I do not know if it was him, I looked into his wife, the boy's mother, but all I could find was record of her passing though surprisingly little information about it. I am still gathering information."

Ironwood only stepped back, instinctively flexing his right arm.

"With him protecting them…we have hope. They know better than to walk into an obvious trap."

 **Beacon Library…**

"You've activated my trap card!" Yang shouted.

"Nooooo," Ruby cried out, her beloved Atlesian soldiers had fallen.

Teams RWBY, JNPR and HERO had claimed the library for their various activities. While Team RWBY was in the middle of a rousing game of Remnant: The Game, the others were scattered throughout the room.

Ren was busy studying, tentatively flipping the pages to avoid Nora who had fallen asleep on half of his book. She was currently snoring and demanding pancakes.

Jaune and Pyrrha were inseparable of course, not far from Ren and Nora they were reading the latest X-Ray and Vav comic.

Olivia had agreed to help Horatio practice for his upcoming 'portrait session' as he called it with Cinder Fall. She was currently posed sitting on a bench, her back arched and a hand in her hair. She had been holding that pose for nearly thirty minutes.

"You'll be fine," Olivia reassured him, trying to remain still. "You're the strongest huntsman, the gentlest soul and probably the best artist in the school. Just be yourself."

Horatio continued to sketch her, eyes darting back and forth from Olivia to the paper.

"It's just I've never…gone out with a girl before," he admitted. "Most girls I've known got more apprehensive after seeing me fight….present company excluded of course."

"Why? Because you are the definition of an Immovable Object?"

"I…tend to scare people."

"Did you SEE Cinder?" Olivia asked, almost falling off the bench. "I doubt she is the type that scares easily. If you are that worried you could always just tell people how you do it."

"Not an option."

Olivia groaned. He had gone over this before but she still felt he was being unnecessarily paranoid. Olivia had pressed him with questions about how he was able to take such punishment and keep getting back up. He had admitted to the presence of a semblance…the worry in her look over possible side-effects of his power was too great for him to resist. She was his confidant now. Even so he had not shared how it is done.

"Just because someone knows HOW a semblance works doesn't mean it will just be countered overnight."

"It could be, even that which is strongest can be brought low if all is focused on its downfall" Horatio quoted. "Just look at everyone we know about…"

"What do you mean?"

"Roland…his specialty is a shield wall, nothing can break that shield or his resolve…. But surround him or catch him in an open field and his effectiveness collapses."

Horatio's time trying to think like a leader was showing. They had been working on combination attacks with each team member to take on any species of Grimm they could think of for weeks. As a result he was constantly taking strengths and weaknesses into account.

"Esmerelda…she has a long reach and the ability to clone her weapon and this gives her amazing melee skill but limited long-ranged capabilities….a sniper like you would be a difficult fight for her.

"But…"

"The reverse is true for you…your semblance lets you shift out of others perceptions to hide which allows you get a first strike from any angle. However…any loud noise or fast movement can give you away if their senses are sharp enough. A faunus with heightened hearing or smell would be a perfect match for you if your first attack fails. Your sniper skills are unparalleled but if drawn into melee range what is your counter? Then of course our friends…Weiss has her dust and glyphs but doesn't handle powerful direct blows too well….Yang is immensely strong but gets angry easily…which makes her sloppy….Ruby…

"Ok ok I get it," Olivia conceded. "So you are just going to go through life with your secret?"

"Well…hopefully not my WHOLE life…"

Olivia's ears perked up, the blush on his face made her want to know more.

"Go on…."

Horatio set his pencil down, sighing.

"The only person I could trust with that knowledge…my most cherished secret…would be the woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with."

Olivia grinned from ear to ear.

"Well that's three quarters of our team who are hopeless romantics," she teased. "Once we get Esmerelda it'll be a full set."

"I resent that heinous accusation," Horatio admonished sarcastically. "My father could do the same as I before he…died. He told me my mother was the only one he shared his secret with. She was the one who told me how it worked after…after he passed away."

Olivia frowned at his last statement, feeling bad at having brought up what was certainly a tough subject.

Horatio got to his feet, a smile back on his face as he handed her the drawing he had been working on. It was uncolored but expertly done, he had even included the sun beams shining through the window. Olivia was very pleased with how it turned out, she'd be sure to keep it.

 _He is so good at drawing people at their happiest…whether they are happy at the time they are drawn or not._

"You'll knock her dead," she reassured him again, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to be so worried ALL the time."

Horatio gave Olivia a hug which she reciprocated, it was the only response he could think of to the confidence she had given him.

Unbeknownst to them, a familiar green-haired young woman on the other side of the bookshelves quietly retreated from the library…having overheard everything.

 **On the opposite side of the library…**

Esmerelda and Roland were watching Team RWBY play their game, planning to have their own team take a shot at it next.

"Oooo that looks like a good one," Esmerelda pointed to a card in Blake's hand.

She had noticed Blake was acting particularly disinterested in everything lately…ever since the fight at the docks. As a result Esmerelda was employing a new tactic to bring back the Blake they knew.

Blake had been resistant to the game at first, but Esmerelda had been persistent. She initially pointed at cards for Blake to use that were obviously bad ideas. Blake explained why they would not work and formulated strategies of her own if only to show Esmerelda the error of her ways. She was actually getting into it.

"No that won't work yet," Blake whispered back. "I need to wait until their forces are out of Vacuo to negate their environmental bonus.

"Well we are pretty tough in the wild."

Esmerelda jumped a foot as she realized Sun was standing right behind her, face practically in hers as he looked over Blake's cards as well.

"Sun?" Blake asked, turning to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to stop by and introduce you to my friend Neptune. Sage and Scarlet are around here somewhere but I can never seem to find them."

The blue-haired boy from the docks was standing behind him. He had a big cool grin like he was posing for a billboard.

"Aren't libraries meant for reading?" He asked.

"Thank you!" Ren shouted in the back.

"O come on don't be a nerd." Sun chastised.

"Hey hey hey….intellectual," Neptune corrected.

"Thank you!" This one came from Horatio in the distance.

"So," Weiss turned to the newcomer. "Neptune…you are from Haven?"

"That's right…and I don't believe we've been introduced….Snow angel." He capped off his compliment with a flirtatious grin…his teeth even seemed to sparkle.

"O I am Weiss," she smiled back, clearly interested. "I suppose you and your team will be competing in the tournament?"

Ruby just watched as Weiss and Neptune continued exchanging flirtatious questions about one another. Blake was busy explaining the strategy of saving her troops and the various cards she had waiting in ambush to Sun, him scratching the back of his head with his tail, clearly confused.

"We aren't getting to finish this game are we?" she asked solemnly to no one in particular.

"Nope," Yang replied, leaning back in her chair to relax, popping a piece of candy into her mouth.

 **With Team CRMS…**

"You must be joking?" Mercury asked Emerald who had just arrived with an update.

"I heard every word," she assured him. "The records are wrong, he does have a semblance. He is intent on no one knowing how it works except the woman he 'intends to spend the rest of his life with." Emerald performed air quotes as she repeated his words.

"Clearly he hasn't known many women," Emerald smacked Mercury's head for that one.

"Then he is still a child," Cinder finally added.

 _A child with the power of a titan._

"So this'll be easy," Mercury was the next to speak. "You said his mother was the one who told him the secret; let's get some White Fang member's to pick her up."

"No good, I thought of that first and checked the records. They verified that she died of an illness almost ten years ago shortly after his father was killed. He enrolled at a combat school that same year."

"Well then Cinder just needs to get him to fall for her then as soon as he spills the beans we take him out."

"With the Vytal Festival only a few weeks out? You really believe he could think Cinder is his destined love in so short a time?"

"I can be quite persuasive," Cinder smiled, her amber eyes seeming to grow even brighter in the dim light of their room. "Though I think taking him out would be…far too great of a waste…"

 **Team RWBY Dormitory…**

Blake confronted her team after returning from the library. Despite the visits from their friends they had eventually completed their game. Blake had claimed victory after Weiss had been lured outside Vacuo…without her environmental advantage her army had been crushed. Ruby had been dismantled by Yang's Grimm but during the recovery turn Blake had been able to contain her hordes and defeat them using the resources Weiss had left behind.

Despite her bonding with her teammates she was still uneasy about recent events.

"Roman Torchwick is still out there," she continued, trying to convince them that they could not just leave this to the authorities. Clearly the authorities were not enough as Roman had been avoiding them for months. "They don't know the White Fang like we do…like I do…"

"But we aren't ready!" Weiss persisted. "We are students…we are being trained to handle situations like this but until then…"

"They won't wait for us to be ready! Something big is coming, the White Fang working with Torchwick is all the evidence we need of that! They have already done so much in so short a time….do you really think we have three years to wait?"

"Ok then," Ruby pulled herself up as high as she could, using a nearby chair as a stepping stool. "All in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to singlehandedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale…say aye!"

"Yes! I love it when you're feisty!" Yang shouted.

"Well I suppose it could be fun," Weiss consented, crossing her arms as if she was still not happy about it."

"Aye."

"Aye."

The final 'ayes' were muffled and had come from just outside their dorm room. Hesitantly Blake pushed open the door.

Roland and Olivia were standing outside, awkwardly waving as the door swung open. They were holding the Remnant Board Game in their hands.

"You um…forgot your game in the library," Roland answered sheepishly, laying it on the nearby desk.

"I always wanted to end a corrupt organization!" Olivia muttered, hiding her hands behind her back and looking away as if she were a little kid asking for more sweets.

"O you're just trying to impress me," Yang teased. Roland did not disagree.

"I am sure Horatio and Esmerelda will help too."

"Let's not tell him just yet," Olivia interjected. "He has his 'portrait session' with Ms. Fall tomorrow night." She performed air quotes at the portrait session part. "We can tell him after that. If we tell him now he is sure to cancel and help."

"I'll ask Esmerelda discreetly." Roland assured.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby clearly could not contain her excitement.

 **The Next Day…**

Glynda Goodwitch looked over the latest reports from the various departments. For the most part everything was going smoothly and the Vytal Festival could remain on schedule. Despite how well things were going Glynda remained on edge, it only took one pebble to start an avalanche.

As she rounded the corner she came face to face with General Ironwood who seemed to be going over documents of his own.

 _Speaking of stubborn stones…._

"Glynda!" he smiled as he spotted her. "I hope your morning is going well."

"James," was her only reply with a slight nod. She continued walking.

"I was hoping…" he started, turning to her before she got too far. "It's been so long since we last had a drink together. The school day is nearly over. Would you care to join me for one later this evening?"

 _He's at it again…_

"I am not sure that would be…appropriate Headmaster," she never broke her calm demeanor.

"I know my methods have never been to your liking," he continued, lowering his gaze, the mood suddenly becoming tenser. "But I did what was…"

"Necessary?" She finished. "Not everything requires a show of force and a battering ram."

"It does when the Grimm are involved!" He raised his voice somewhat as his eyes met hers, his right arm twitching slightly.

 _His arm is acting up again..._

"If we had this kind of strength back then we could have protected so many more…I could have protected y…"

Glynda's face softened as he nearly finished his sentence.

Ironwood turned around, sighing as he recomposed himself.

"I never wanted to change…but I had to...we all did. We need to not only be strong…but show others that strength to deter battles before they occur. A show of force can be more effective than a dozen victories. That is the only reason I…chose to stay in Atlas."

 _Still with the bravado…just like when he was…younger._

"My offer remains open Ms. Goodwitch…should you change your mind. I will be staying aboard my airship for the duration." With that final word and a stiff wave he left, leaving Glynda standing in the hall alone.

Oh _James…_

 **With the Students…**

Team RWBY and HERO could not wait for the day to end, time had apparently slowed to a crawl in preparation for that evening.

Even Esmerelda barely paid any attention in Professor Port's class despite his usual enthusiastic rendition of his youthful adventures. They were all halfway out of their seats before the first bell chime.

"I'll meet you in your room after I see Horatio off," Olivia reported to Yang. Esmerelda was on board with tracking down the White Fang and Roman Torchwick, Horatio was none the wiser…he was already preoccupied.

He had acquired a full size easel and every coloring utensil known to human and faunus kind. He had set it up ahead of time and was prepared even if Cinder exploded into a literal rainbow.

"Sunset is coming up soon," Olivia counted down again. "You should be able to sneak over there without anyone noticing…Knock her dead."

Horatio had selected a steel-blue vest with white undershirt. Due to his limited wardrobe he was utilizing the school uniform tie and pants; Olivia thought he looked quite dashing.

"And I want details!" she called out as he raced into the hallway, not wanting to be late. "A copious amount of details! I'll know if you lie!"

When Olivia was sure Horatio was gone she snuck across the hall, knocking three times followed by two rapid knocks and a single loud one.

Yang opened the door, everyone was already gathered.

"Everyone remember their roles?" Ruby asked once the door was closed.

"You, Esmerelda and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as how I am in the family and they are open 24 hours it shouldn't be a problem." Weiss announced proudly.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in I can hopefully find out what they are planning." Blake confirmed.

"I will shadow Blake with my Semblance," Olivia reported, trying to impersonate them by standing tall like a soldier. "I will stick to the dark corners just in case but with any luck they will never know I am there."

Yang was next, "I have a friend on the shady side of town who typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard."

"I will provide backup for Yang," Roland chimed in next; he was sitting and the only one not going over the top. "If he isn't as accommodating as Yang hopes I can help jostle his memory."

"Let's do this!" Ruby shouted, pumping her arm in the air.

"Yea!" Came a shout from the window.

Both teams turned to face Sun Wukong, hanging upside down outside.

"Sun!" Blake shouted, everyone taking a quick step back. "How did you get up here?"

Their room was on the upper floor of the dormitory.

"O it's easy. I do it all the time."

"You do what?" Weiss shouted, ready to blast him out of the tree for what he was implying.

"I climb trees all the time," he explained calmly as if he didn't understand her accusation.

"Which trees? Olivia asked for clarification…Sun did not respond.

"Sorry Sun…we don't want to involve too many friends if we can help it. This will be dangerous."

"Please," Sun joked as if this was no big deal. "That's stupid; you should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune."

The girls and Roland all stuck their heads outside to be greeted by Neptune smiling as ever standing precariously perched on the ledge.

"Sup," he winked at them, Weiss in particular.

"How did you…"

"I have my ways," he replied as smoothly…until a particularly strong wind came through forcing him to reposition or risk falling. "…can I come in though? We are like…REALLY high up."

After pulling Neptune to safety the teams were redrawn.

"Ok then," Ruby declared. "Sun can go with Blake and Olivia. Neptune can go with…"

Ruby glanced at the teams, Blake's already had three and with how Yang and Roland were smiling at each other she didn't want to add a third wheel.

"I guess he will have to go with Weiss and me."

Weiss and Neptune grinned ear to ear as the teams split up. It would certainly be an interesting night.

 **At the Exchange Student Dormitory…**

Horatio breathed in deep as he neared Team CRMS' room, he was more nervous than he'd been for the initiation.

 _It's just a portrait…you've done a million…_

He kept repeating this over and over in his head but he just couldn't convince himself…he didn't want to.

Approaching the room he knocked softly. After several seconds of no response he did so again. The door slid open slightly, a black form slid out, closing the door as quickly as it had been opened.

"Cinder?" He asked, being unable to see past the black hood.

"Bingo," Cinder confirmed, lowering the hood and revealing her curly black locks. "Shall we be off?"

Horatio almost asked why she was wrapped in a black hood and cloak but he thought better of it. It was his first time seeing her in something other than her gym-wear or school uniform.

 _Must be what she wants to wear for the portrait, her prerogative._

"We shall, I already have the perfect location set up for Sunset. We should have nearly an hour of the perfect light before we lose it."

"Well then, lead the way," she announced with a small chuckle at the end. She walked alongside him and took an arm.

 _She's so warm._

He led her out of the dorm, unaware they were being followed from the shadows.

"So how long have you painted?" Cinder asked after a bit of silence. They were nearly past the courtyard heading out of Beacon.

"Ever since I was little," Horatio was trying to calm down. "My mother was amazing; I have yet to even come close to her."

 _Calm…steady breaths._

"She must be so proud," Cinder smiled at him. "A son who is not only a skilled huntsman but following in her footsteps as an artist. Will she be visiting for the Vytal Festival?"

"She…passed away years ago," Horatio replied hesitantly with a frown.

"O…I am sorry," Cinder apologized, looking up at him with her big Amber eyes.

"Don't be," Horatio could not bear to see her sad. "Death is…an unfortunate truth of our world. I mourned her…and my dad. Please don't feel bad…if you do the smile I paint won't be genuine."

 _Not the direction I thought the conversation would go…_

"Do…you have any family Cinder?" he asked at length.

"Just my mother," she answered hesitantly. "She can be pretty overbearing…she won't be able to make the festival."

"That's too bad, if you have a picture maybe I could draw her as well…for a souvenir."

"She doesn't like her picture being taken," Cinder answered with a quick snap. Her smile returned an instant later. "She wouldn't appreciate it."

Horatio did not push the subject.

"Aha, made it," Horatio pointed to the Cliffside not far from the airship docks. "I thought the water would be a perfect backdrop."

"Excellent choice," Cinder approved, taking her position at the edge of the cliff.

Horatio dropped his pack beside the easel he had secured to the ground. He had already started drawing the cliffs on either side he knew would not be affected by Cinder's presence in the center.

"So what kind of portrait did you want?" he asked, already starting to sketch the ground beneath her. "Traditional? Dramatic?"

"Something that shows off my good side," she smiled as she turned, whipping off the black cloak that had concealed her and allowing it to slump to the ground.

Horatio stared in awe.

She wore a deep-red V-neck strapless dress that left her pale shoulders bear. The skirt was quite short in the front yet had a tail in the back that made it down to her knees. Intricate designs woven in gold worked up both sleeves and along her V-neck, based on their shimmer he was certain they were dust catalysts.

 _Does she fight in that dress?_

The dress had an open slit exposing her right leg, or it would have were it not for the presence of a patch of blue feathers that reminded him of some sort of good luck charms strapped to her thigh. Black high heeled shoes completed her ensemble.

"That is…beautiful," he whispered, barely realizing what he was saying.

"I am glad you think so," she smiled, spinning for him in place.

As she spun he realized the reverse side of the dress at the top was open, exposing the upper portion of her back. He could see a tattoo that appeared to be two black high-heeled shoes linked together in the shape of a heart. The gold designs also continued down her back almost merging with the spine.

"Wait!" he called out instinctively mid-spin, she stopped halfway with her back facing him.

"Like this?" she asked, turning slightly toward him.

"Yes," the image was already forming in his head. "Turn towards me just s smidge so I can see the feathers…perfect…ok now turn your head to look at me."

Cinder complied with his instructions.

"O-ok," he continued, suddenly becoming self-conscious of how he might be sounding. "Wrap your left hand around your right hip, your right hand under your chin…can you turn your head a little more this way so I can see...perfect!"

The scene fell into place as she completed his requests. From this angle he could include the captivating tattoo visible on her back but still draw her face…with her dress tail and hair blowing to the left in the sea breeze it was absolutely perfect.

"Perfect," he repeated as he started to draw. "Just…hold…that…"

The horizon shifted to gold as the Perfect Hour came upon them, the sun just about to disappear behind the horizon. He worked quickly yet efficiently to capture as much of the scene as he could. From his experience throughout the year this moment lasted a little under an hour before the light would be completely gone to await sunrise.

 **Downtown Vale Club…**

Yang pulled up to the club on Bumblebee, coming to a screeching halt not far from the curb.

"We're here," she announced cheerily as she attempted to step off the bike. She could not move, Roland's hands were firmly gripped to her waist like a vice and were not letting go.

"I am flattered but you can let go now," she chuckled as she turned to face him.

Roland just stared through her, eyes wide as it finally sunk in that they had stopped and NOT died. It was his first time riding with her when she was actually in a hurry.

"I've never seen…anyone…drive…like that." He seemed to be forcing out each word as he finally removed his hands and started sliding off the bike.

They had arrived at what looked like an extravagant night club, the building was enormous and swarming with men dressed in red and black suits with matching sunglasses.

"You've been here before?" Roland asked, nervous for the part of the city they were in.

"Once or twice…I made an…explosive first impression my first time here."

Roland just looked at her, trying to discern if she was being punny or literal. He and Yang approached the front door; she waved cheerily to the two bouncers. Their eyes went wide, their sunglasses slipping down their noses. Without a word they turned and ran inside, slamming the enormous doors behind them.

 _Definitely literal…_

Roland knocked on the giant steel doors…no response.

"I got this," Yang walked up, winding up her arm…

The doors flew open at her attack, the explosion throwing the two bouncers on the inside to the ground. Yang just strolled inside, walking to the top of a flight of stairs leading down into the center of the club.

"Guess who's back!" she proclaimed with a big grin, throwing her arms up in the air as if to present herself.

In an instant every suited man in the club drew a pistol and took aim…they were all zeroed in on Yang. Roland walked in after her, shield already drawn and split onto each of his arms. He took up a position beside Yang, ready to deflect any of their shots at a moment's notice.

"Now is that any way to greet a lady?"

"STOP STOP!" Came a shout from the back. "Nobody….shoot..."

An older man with a full black beard pushed his way to the front; he was wearing the same suit ensemble as the rest minus the jacket.

"Blondie! You're here!" he started, looking very nervous. "Why?"

Yang pointed at him. "You still owe me a drink, make it two." With that she grabbed the man by his tie and directed him towards the bar. Roland hesitantly recombined his shield and slid it to his back, watching everyone in the club suspiciously. They all seemed to be dressed identically save two dark haired girls in the back who looked nearly identical save for their different dresses….one white one red.

 _Well if they don't look out of place._

As he glanced their way the first in the red dress blew him a kiss, the second waving to him with a wink. Roland quickly looked away and caught up with Yang by the bar.

"We are looking for Roman Torchwick," Yang started her questioning as the man known as Junior slid up two Strawberry Sunrises…non-alcoholic. "I know for a fact you've worked with him in the past."

"Not in some time," he explained. The last time you were in here was the last I saw of him. He paid in advance…I lent him my men…and NONE of them came back."

"And you never thought to look for or get them back?" Roland asked, taking a quick but menacing sip from his drink.

Junior just stared at him as if he was trying to determine if he'd ever seen him before.

"No…it's all business. They either didn't make it during the job or he wasn't happy with them afterwards. Who is this guy?" he asked, turning back to Yang.

"He's the only one who gets to call me sweetheart. Are you sure you are telling me everything?"

"Yes!" Junior shouted. "I have nothing to do with him anymore, probably thinks himself too big to be working with me anymore…"

"What about your crew?" Roland motioned to the room full of guards and the two girls on the couch. "Any chance of one of them is having some work on the side?"

"They only work with me…that's part of the contract, ask them yourselves if you don't believe me!"

"Don't worry…we will," Yang backed away from the bar, eyes remaining locked with Junior's while giving him the "I will be watching you" gesture with her fingers.

"So…you and blondie going steady?" Junior asked as Roland took the last gulp of his drink.

"Who wants to know?"

"That's a yes by the way. When you two are together, be careful…she has a grip like a vice.

"What do you m-?" Roland started before Yang grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away.

"I'll take the left, you the right," she whispered, motioning to the sides of the room littered with henchmen.

Roland nodded as they talked with each of them, all the henchmen, the bouncers, even the DJ. One by one they all confirmed Junior's story of not having worked with Roman in months.

Roland inhaled to calm his nerves as he approached the couch, the two girls from before still eyeing him. They were the last ones on his half of the room.

"Ok," he started, trying to get to the point. "Have either of you two seen Roman Torchwick in the last few months?"

The two girls stared at him for a moment, then at each other then back to him.

"I haven't Melanie, have you?"

"No Miltia I have not. Not since this one's girlfriend was last in here."

The way they referred to each other in that identical, cold emotionless voice caused a shiver to run up Roland's spine. He did not want to talk to them any longer than he had to.

"And no idea of what he had planned with the dust robberies he had your associates assist him with? We know he is working with the White Fang."

"O we know about the White Fang Melanie," the girl in red started. "They were here the same night we last saw Roman."

"But not all of them were cute kitties Miltia," the one in white continued. "Some were quite terrifying."

"Terrifying?" Roland was really listening now.

"O yes, one had blazing red hair, even brighter than Roman's. Great black horns on his head, he had a sword he never took his hand off of that just made me shiver," she wrapped her arms around herself as if to prove the point.

"Any other…terrifying individuals?"

"O the women were far more terrifying than the men weren't they Melanie?"

"As it should be Miltia. We tried not to look but the short one was hard to miss. Her pink parasol was quite attractive, pink and brown hair…the White Fang gave her a wide berth."

"Indeed but the other was worse. Red dress and long black hair, eyes like gold, even Roman looked afraid to cross her."

"If you see her you know you are heading for the grave."

Roland just stared, locked in place at how calmly these girls were talking about Roman's deadly allies. Just how many did he have?

"Anything else you got from these…associates?"

The two girls looked up simultaneously as if deep in thought.

"Nothing, we don't get paid to pry into the affairs of Junior's clients…just to admire their fashion choices."

"I see, for what it's worth I thank you for your time ladies." Roland took a quick bow and turned to leave.

"If it does not work out with the golden girl, you know where to find us," Roland did not turn around to see which had said it.

Outside the club Yang was waiting by Bumblebee, the frustration on her face made it clear none of the others had anything important to say.

"Well that got us nowhere," she moaned as she climbed aboard her bike, Roland mounting it behind her.

"Not entirely," he explained as she started the engine. "No information on where he might be or what he is planning but I did get information on some persons of note perhaps. Let's meet up with the others, I'll explain on the way. There are more players on the field than we thought."

 **Our Heroes attempt to uncover a plot long in the making with Horatio being sculpted into a pawn for their use. What more will the other teams uncover? Read and Review, but most of all enjoy**


	11. Painting the Queen

**The White Fang Warehouse…**

Blake and Sun walked into the warehouse where a line of faunus were heading. Blake had already removed her bow leaving her cat ears exposed; the man at the entrance asked no questions.

Blake and Sun had already donned their White Fang Grimm masks, a solemn reminder of past humanity's desire to see the faunus as monsters…so they wore the masks to accommodate their expectations.

"In position," Olivia's voice came in nice and loud over their earpieces courtesy of Weiss. They were short ranged but each team could keep in contact without use of their scrolls.

Olivia sat in a dark corner on the second floor rafters, sniper rifle in hand. She had donned a Grimm mask as well, it was not needed but if her semblance should be compromised it could help her blend in. She had replaced her camo clothing with a sleek dark silver vest and pants to better match the urban surroundings.

"We got a full house," she reported in hushed whispers. "A LOT of White Fang and quite a few in everyday clothes…probably those they hope to recruit."

"We're in too," Blake replied. She and Sun were in the main room approaching the front.

As they approached the stage a rather large White Fan member with a unique mask covering more of his face took to the stage. He had a series of tattoos Olivia did not recognize adorning his left arm.

"I've seen him before," Blake whispered. "Before I left the White Fang he was in my unit…he must have been promoted since then."

"Anything you can tell us?" Sun asked.

"He is VERY strong and prefers chainsaws," Blake replied in a completely calm voice.

"Good to know…" Sun muttered in his usual sarcastic tone.

"Thank you all for coming!" The man started, motioning his arms towards the crowd. "For those of you just joining us tonight we have a very special comrade with us!"

Olivia zoomed in on the stage from her perch as two people appeared offstage, strolling to the forefront to address the crowd.

One was Roman Torchwick unmistakably; the other was a woman she had never seen. She was quite short; Olivia didn't think she even reached 5 feet. What stood out most to Olivia was her hair split down the middle half pink while the other was a light brown.

The crowd started booing almost immediately, derogatory comments being thrown at the stage about the two being humans.

Despite the overwhelming hate being thrown his way Torchwick only waved his hands and smiled at the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you, hold your applause," he mocked.

"Smug little…." Olivia grumbled.

Roman addressed the crowd; he started by actually convincing them that they had a common enemy…the higher ups in power of the four kingdoms. Somehow the jeers and shouts actually turned to cheers as he went on about how as being one of the worst of humanity he understood why they hated humans so much…and that he would help exterminate them.

With the crowd now thoroughly praising Roman's presence, he snapped his fingers, signaling the girl off to the side to pull a cord, dropping the sheet covering the stage.

"Olivia's eyes widened as the largest Atlas Mech she had ever seen was revealed, it easily towered over the audience.

"What is that thing?" Sun asked Blake.

"That," Olivia chimed in having overheard the question though she would have likely told them even without being asked. "Is an Atlesian Paladin-290 mechanized battlesuit!"

She was practically drooling, barely paying attention to Roman's speech about moving to an operation in the Southeast.

"It's not even being mass-produced yet; I thought it was still in the prototype stage. Reinforced armor for tackling larger species of Grimm…..laser assisted targeting systems and enough firepower to match a dozen huntresses. Loaded with arm mounted energy weapons, auto cannons, forward AND rear mounted rocket launchers….Roland helped me get the early release model figurine pre-ordered…"

"We get the point," Blake cut her off.

The room practically exploded into cheers as the members of the White Fang admired the machine of war in front of them, according to Roman's boasts it was but one of many they had acquired from their heists across Atlas.

Olivia panned her scope over the behemoth of a suit; she could not see any obvious weak point that would allow her to disable it before she was spotted.

"O no," Olivia moaned as she panned back over Roman and his female associate. The woman in pink and white was tapping Roman on the shoulder, pointing directly to Sun and Blake in the crowd.

"She sees you!" Olivia whispered loudly. "Get out of there!"

Blake and Sun heard her but could not comply; the tidal wave of bodies moving to gawk at the Paladin mech was pushing them closer and closer to the stage.

It was too late; Roman had now spotted them in the crowd, with a scowl he raised his cane in their direction, the targeting scope popping up as he prepared to fire.

Olivia did not hesitate; she had already loaded her special round and opened fire.

The bullet shot straight for Roman, before making it halfway the back portion of the bullet split off, breaking into dozens of smaller pellets as they scattered.

Each of the smaller pellets left a smoke trail behind them, obscuring much of the room and causing panic in the crowd. Blake and Sun took this opportunity to free themselves from the mass of White Fang.

The front of the bullet continued its path to Roman, Olivia watched it with bated breath.

Roman's associate was faster; with a twirl she unveiled a large pink umbrella that deftly deflected the bullet harmlessly. The woman was not normal, after deflecting the bullet she instantly made eye contact with Olivia, a sinister smile widening as she gave her a wink.

 _She saw me through my semblance from one shot? Or did she spot precisely where the bullet had come from?_

Roman and the girl were in sync; following her eyes he aimed his cane and fired a round directly at Olivia. Whether he could see her yet was a moot point.

Olivia jumped to the side, colliding with the White Fang guard standing nearby who had been unaware of her presence.

Olivia pummeled him in the stomach with the butt of her rifle, dropping him to his knees. Bringing her left knee up she clocked him in the jaw, knocking him out.

Roman had already fired another round into the rafters, forcing Olivia to cartwheel out of the way, landing feet first on the ground below.

Right into a mosh pit of White Fang, she was completely surrounded. They were all completely focused on her, no chance for her semblance to work again.

"He cannot see in the dark," she heard Blake tell Sun over the earpiece.

A gunshot could be heard originating from Blake.

The lights went out just as the group of White Fang started advancing, bathing the entire warehouse in absolute darkness.

"Get her!" One of the White Fang members' shouted in the black as all bedlam broke loose.

 **Back at the Cliffside…**

Cinder felt ridiculous but it wouldn't be for much longer.

Playing the part of the eager maiden smitten with the dashing huntsman was not her preferred tactic but she had adapted based on his reactions.

 _And here I wore this low-cut dress just for him…but his eyes haven't wandered once except to draw them and even then he blushes like a ruby…such a White Knight. If I had played the role of the shy exchange student he would never open up._

Cinder knew how normal dates worked…two people get together with an activity that one thinks the other would enjoy as well. While taking part in whatever was planned they use the opportunity to get to learn more about the other. Usually the man would use this time to find out what the woman prefers…Cinder had seen it time and time again. Traditionally the events are normal…safe… and as such must be repeated multiple times to light that spark if there was such one between them.

 _I don't have that time,_ she thought as the golden hour neared its end. Horatio had not stopped sketching for even a moment, his hands moving quickly to draw, erase and perfect each stroke of his pencil. Cinder was almost curious what the portrait would look like when it was done.

"We got a problem," Mercury's voice echoed in her earpiece. "The blondie Goodwitch is coming your way. It looks like she was in the Atlas Airship and just left. I think she knows you two are there."

"Should we delay her?" This voice was Emerald.

"Not yet, this could work," she whispered so silently Horatio could not hear it.

 _Let's try something…_

Cinder shivered slightly as a breeze came through, making sure it was enough to be noticed.

Horatio immediately stopped drawing as he noticed, setting down his pencil.

"I am so sorry," he apologized, stepping away from the easel. "I was so focused I didn't realize how chilly it'd gotten. We can continue tomorrow night if…"

"N-no," Cinder interrupted. "I'm fine, really…"

"Who is out there?" A voice from the shadows called out several moments later. "I can hear you."

Horatio turned as Glynda Goodwitch emerged from the trees.

"M-M-Ms. Goodwitch," Horatio stammered, lowering the drape to cover the portrait.

Cinder continued to play her role as she quickly wrapped herself back in her black cloak, acting as if she was embarrassed to be seen in her red dress by anyone else.

"It is WELL past curfew." She approached them, motioning Cinder forward so she and Horatio were standing side by side. "Even for exchange students Ms. Fall."

"Yes," Horatio agreed. "However I asked Cinder to come out with me tonight…we were just…"

 _How adorable, he's trying to protect me. But my role is not finished…_

"It was my idea Ms. Goodwitch," Cinder proclaimed, stepping forward and taking Horatio's hand, her voice was soft yet stern and convincing. "I…was such a big fan of Horatio's work I asked him to draw me. Sunset and sunrise have the best light so…"

Ms. Goodwitch raised her riding crop motioning for silence, Cinder complied.

"I am well aware of Mr. Soplar's dedication to the arts Ms. Fall. Nevertheless it can be dangerous to travel beyond the school grounds at night. We keep a patrol it is true but the creatures of Grimm can be unpredictable in the dark."

Horatio retained his composure, listening to every word she said.

"However…I am willing to overlook this infraction just this once. After all, good relations between our various schools is one of the highlights of the Vytal Festival." She smiled softly, her eyes drifting to their interlocked hands for a moment.

 _Another romantic deep down…_

Horatio's stern yet worried face twisted into a big smile; he glanced at Cinder who returned one of her own. His hand tightened around hers.

"Might I suggest utilizing sunrise for your next…meeting," she offered. "There is no curfew, far less chance of encountering Grimm and from what I hear you are up at that hour anyway Mr. Soplar."

"Yes ma'am," he replied. "I will be sure to take that into account."

 _Just like a good soldier following orders. Thank you Ms. Goodwitch, there is nothing like a hint of trying to separate two people to bring them even closer. It would have been even better if you had condemned our meeting._

"Excellent, I will escort you two back to your rooms. I am sure your teams are worried sick. Pack up your things and we will head back."

Horatio recovered the easel, allowing Cinder a brief glimpse of the portrait as the wind blew the drape up slightly for half a moment.

Her brow narrowed as she saw it. It was barely half finished if that which surprised Cinder; she had seen him complete acceptable works in a matter of minutes. He was certainly skilled, however when he really took his time it was something else. The style seemed to be a mixture of traditional and glamour. The lines, the detail, Cinder almost felt like she was looking into a magic mirror even uncolored as it was.

 _Except the eyes…how does he see a woman with those eyes in me? So naïve._

She pulled her cloak around herself tighter, another fake shiver to catch his attention.

As expected he removed his vest jacket, placing it around her, returning a heartfelt smile that could not be anything other than genuine.

 _So naïve…_

 **Downtown Vale…**

"So we have a horned faunus swordsman and two scary women to watch out for?" Yang summarized as Roland finished describing his encounter with the Malachite Twins. They were speeding down the highway to the scheduled rendezvous. Apparently Ruby's team had been a bust, no new information in regards to the recent dust robberies other than the fact they were centered in Vale. Ruby had grumbled that Weiss and Neptune's flirtations were going to make her sick. The only positive she'd given was that she had run into Penny again.

"Just about, one of them apparently had a pink parasol and the other invokes death on sight."

Yang's scroll went off in her back pocket though the message still came through without her needing to reply.

"They got a robot!" the voice was an exasperated Sun who sounded like he was sprinting at top speed. "And it's big, REALLY BIG! That Torchwick guy is in it…but not like, it didn't eat him…he's like controlling it or something!"

Roland answered the scroll for Yang as her hands were busy on the controls.

"Where are you guys currently?"

On queue Sun and Blake dropped down onto the car in front of them. Roland and Yang gave a silent awkward wave simultaneously.

Seconds later a massive blast impacted the road behind them as the Paladin-290 mech suit dropped in stampeding their way.

Olivia was perched on its back, the barrel of her rifle wedged inside a mess of panels and wires. She was barely holding on for dear life but continued to pull the trigger whenever she could for what little her normal rounds seemed to be doing.

Roman's suit crashed through everything in its way trying to catch up to them, knocking car after car aside.

"We need to get off the highway!" Roland yelled to Yang, barely able to hear himself with the mayhem. "Can you get alongside it?"

Yang only grinned mischievously as she dropped bumblebee's speed, falling back behind the mech barely dodging one of its powerful arms. Thankfully it seemed to be focused on Sun and Blake.

Roland hopped up so he was standing on the bike crouching down as low as he could, drawing his shield and aiming it at Yang.

"Shoot me!" He shouted to her.

"What?" Yang asked, glancing back and forth between him and the road. "Are you insane?"

"Only insane enough to keep up," he smirked with a wink. "Shoot my shield!" he clarified, ducking to hide behind it.

Groaning Yang removed one of her hands from the bike and fired a full power blast point blank into his Greatshield.

The blast rocketed Roland towards the mech's side, spinning midair he body slammed the monstrosity shield-first with enough force to knock it off balance. Olivia saw him coming and leapt off its back, landing gracefully onto Bumblebee with Yang.

Roland powered through and pushed the mech over the side of the highway, sending them both plummeting to the ground below.

The mech fell first, hitting the ground-floor hard and shattering the pavement beneath it.

Roland let out his best battle-cry; raising his shield high over his head he extended the twin spikes at the bottom. With all his strength he brought it down hard on the mech's roof, punching two holes straight through its armor.

Unbeknownst to Roland the spikes had missed Roman's head by inches, Roman let out a quick squeak as he realized he was still alive before continuing his attack.

The mech got to its feet, thrashing wildly to throw Roland off but his shield held strong.

After a few seconds of that Roland's head was spinning; he felt if he remained there much longer he would puke. Waiting for the right moment he retracted his shield-spikes, letting the momentum throw him clear.

Before he would have hit the ground Blake dove in, catching him and easing him gently to his feet. The rest of Team RWBY had arrived as well.

Ruby had arrived, Esmerelda, Weiss and Neptune behind her.

Yang pulled up on Bumblebee, Olivia was nowhere to be seen.

Blake and Sun ran up alongside their friends, standing together.

Roman laughed inside the mech, this was too perfect, his most annoying enemies all in one place. With thundering steps he moved towards them, firing a barrage of machine gun fire.

"Freezer burn!" Rwby shouted to Yang and Weiss as the gang scattered in all directions.

Weiss immediately froze the ground beneath her and leapt away, leaving room for Yang to jump high in the air and slam down with a concussive blast. The blast evaporated the ice on contact, creating a thick obscuring mist.

As the mist encompassed the area Roman activated the suit's laser tracking but even that could not locate them easily. He paced the area…silently searching.

A loud crack broke the silence as an armor piercing shell struck Roman from above, surrounding his suit in a cloak of lightning.

Olivia smiled, she had remained on the highway above well out of reach and was busy loading a second lightning high-impact round.

Roman aimed the left arm up towards her, firing off a hail of rockets.

Olivia bounded away, dodging the rockets as they pursued her, trying to find a new position while picking them off when she could.

"Checkmate!" Ruby shouted as Blake and Weiss leapt forward, alternating swings while its attention was drawn to Olivia.

"Seamonkey!" Sun shouted as he summoned three light-clones of himself.

Neptune leapt up, transforming his laser rifle into an electrical trident, lowering his goggles to protect his eyes. Two of the clones grabbed him by the arms while the third pushed off his back, throwing him face first towards Roman.

Neptune extended the trident, burying it in the first open gap he could find and pulling the trigger sending a surge of electricity through the mech before it could get a bead on Blake and Weiss.

"Leave…my….snow angel….alone!" Neptune shouted, pulling the trigger again and again as he kicked the suit's cockpit for good measure.

"Downfall of King and Country!" Roland called out, eager to join the fight.

Esmerelda fell back behind his shield, summoning six aura-clones of her weapon. Two hovered overhead while the remaining four took up positions at the shield's sides creating a formidable defense.

Roland charged the mech's legs, getting close enough for Esmerelda to take shots at its joints like that had done with the Ursa in the forest. This time though she had six additional weapons all striking at the same time at different locations.

Roman stomped down on their location but Roland held strong, ignoring the pain surging through his arms. After several seconds of Esmerelda's intense barrage a crack like a burst pipe sounded one of the mech's legs popping off, slumping to the ground.

Yang leapt in and grappled to the top of the mech, firing her gauntlets into its head again and again. Neptune dislodged his trident and jumped away, Roland and Esmerelda pulling back as well to a safe distance.

"It's coming down!" Ruby called out as the mech staggered and fell.

They heard Roman laugh from within the belly of the beast as the suit's left arm stopped its fall, catching itself. Pushing off the ground the mech slammed Yang into one of the pillar's connecting the highways above. It followed up with a headbutt sending Yang flying; she smashed into the ground, her aura almost broken

"Yang!" Roland and Blake called out simultaneously, both afraid to approach.

"Don't worry," Ruby assured them as Yang got to her feet. "With each hit she gets stronger and she uses that energy to fight back…that's what makes her special."

Roland looked on in awe as Yang got to her feet. The first thing she did was check the purple pendent around her neck for damage, sighing in relief as it was still intact.

Her already radiant golden hair was now glowing with a shine reminding him of the sun…it was nearly white. Her eyes had transformed from their calm lilac to a furious blood-red.

"She is special for far more reasons than that Ruby…" he proclaimed proudly, a smile returning to his face accompanied by a single tear as his fears for her safety turned to relief.

The mech's remaining leg started changing, converting into a tread allowing it to travel and compensating for the one destroyed. The mech charged full speed directly into yang, swinging both its arms down to crush her.

Yang raised her hands, catching both with seemingly no effort despite the ground cracking beneath her.

 _Just like Horatio…_

With a roar Yang brought her fist up, punching the left arm so hard it shattered into a million pieces. "Dust him!" she shouted as the parts crumpled to the ground. She held a firm grip on the remaining hand, it couldn't get away.

The night sky lit up as Ruby, Weiss, Olivia, Blake and Neptune all opened fire simultaneously at Roman, catching him square in the back. The suit stuttered, now covered completely in electricity from the numerous short circuits and fried machinery. It was crippled. The top of the suit popped open, the seat Roman had been sitting on ejecting out seconds before the Paladin exploded.

Roman fired off several rounds from his cane to buy some breathing space, landing with a thud near the river. "I just got this cleaned," he grumbled, brushing off his hat.

The group turned their weapons on him, each firing a single round, it was over…or so they thought.

From seemingly nowhere, the parasol-wielding woman from the warehouse cartwheeled between them and Roman, opening her umbrella like a shield.

The same barrage that had decimated the Paladin a moment ago impacted her parasol with absolutely no effect, the resounding explosion billowing around them harmlessly.

 _Scary pink parasol,_ Roland thought to himself. _That must be her._

"Ladies, gentlemen…ice queen…" Roman replied sarcastically.

"Hey!"

"As always it's been a pleasure…but I've gotta run, Neo if you would?"

Olivia took aim, firing another round squarely at Roman's head.

The bullet struck home as neither of them appeared to move, however rather than knocking him back as she expected both he and Neo shattered like glass. The team looked around them, scanning the area for the slightest clue as to their whereabouts but there was no sign of them.

They were gone.

The group allowed themselves a chance to breathe, the burning wreckage of the Paladin mech smoking in the distance. They would have to run before the authorities arrived but for now they could cherish their victory.

"Well done team!" Ruby shouted, throwing her arms around Weiss in a big hug.

"Things are never boring with you guys," Sun remarked to Blake with a smile, helping Neptune to his feet. "Is anyone else absolutely starving?"

Roland put his arm around Yang to help her up; he knew she would never admit it but using that much power at once would be tiring.

Olivia smiled; everyone seemed safe, Esmerelda giving her a thumbs up when checked her for injuries. Her smile slowly faded as the realization hit her.

"Horatio is going to kill us when he finds out what we did without him!"

Neptune and Sun's eyes widened at her words, realizing the same would be true for their teammates Sage and Scarlet…

 **Exchange Student's Dormitory…**

Ms. Goodwitch had led them back to the dormitories, stopping at Cinder's first as it was closer. She held back at the entrance to give them some privacy as they bid each other good night.

"I guess sunrise tomorrow morning would be unreasonable. Sorry about tonight, just let me know whenever you wish to continue."" he laughed as Cinder returned his vest jacket while ensuring their hands would brush together.

Cinder knew the touch would send a jolt through him; he was so easy to read now.

"Don't be," she smiled at him, cupping his face with her left hand. "Sunrise the day after will be just as pleasant."

His next move took her by surprise as he suddenly took her left hand, flipping it over he kissed the back of it gently while bowing low.

"Until then m'lady," he proclaimed in a false baritone as he released her hand.

 _So he CAN be bold if pressed…_

All Cinder could think to do was smile, waving goodbye she disappeared into the room, closing the door behind her.

Mercury and Emerald were already on the immediate other side waiting for her. Ray, or Neo as they called her in private, was sitting on the bed, a copy of The Sais of Passion halfway done in her hands.

"How was the magical evening?" Mercury asked as if he hadn't been watching most of the night.

"Acceptable," Cinder replied, laying herself on the edge of her bed, discarding her black cloak and hood. "A field test will be necessary to uncover signs as to how his ability works, watch for any chance to place him in combat."

"Report from Roman," Emerald handed over her scroll with data on it. "Looks like lover-boys friends have been busy without him tonight. They knocked over a White Fang rally and managed to total one of our stolen Atlas mechs."

"And Roman's status?"

"Got away thanks to short, psychotic and silent over here," Emerald motioned to Neo still reading on the bed. Neo did not react as if she had not heard her.

"Excellent, make sure to inform him that he is to stay put and off the radar until the next phase…we'll need every pawn we can spare."

Emerald started typing the commands on her scroll, Mercury had already plopped down onto his bed, ready to call it a night.

Cinder did the same, still looking over her left hand where Horatio had kissed her. For a brief moment Cinder contemplated if he would do it at their next parting but swiftly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.

 _Such a child…_

 **Team HERO's Dormitory…**

Ms. Goodwitch led Horatio all the way to the door, she must have been still thinking in the back of her mind he may try to sneak out again if not watched.

"Thank you Ms. Goodwitch," Horatio stated as they reached the door, giving her a short bow.

"I remember what it was like to be your age Mr. Soplar," even at night she still acted like a teacher. "Just…be careful."

 _Everyone is giving me that advice lately…_

"I will…I hope everything was ok tonight."

Ms. Goodwitch looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Horatio felt like he was intruding. "I was so startled by you because I didn't know anyone would be that far from the school except to battle Grimm…I hope no one got hurt."

He failed to notice her cheeks redden slightly.

"O no…I just had some final preparations to make with…the Atlas visitors…nothing you need to worry about."

"That's a relief, have a good night ma'am," with that he entered his dormitory, mind and body utterly spent.

Only to walk nearly into a heart attack as Olivia was staring into his eyes, smile wider than he'd ever seen.

"So….how'd it go?" she asked, panting slightly. Horatio could not help but notice that each of his teammates were similarly winded and sweating…as if they'd been running.

"It went…fine," he answered slowly, sneaking around Olivia to his bed, making sure to keep his easel behind him.

"Now what did I say about lying?" she chastised, leaning over him to try and get a better look.

"…..Ms. Goodwitch may have caught us," he finally admitted, stowing away the easel under his bed.

All three of their mouths dropped open.

"Caught you doing what?" Olivia beamed, trying to glance under his bed. "Come on! Just a peak!"

"Not until it's finished…and you're one to talk about lying."

"What do you mean?" Olivia started poking her pointer fingers together glancing back and forth suspiciously.

Horatio just glared at her as if it was painfully obvious.

"I imagine you all are acting like you just ran a marathon due to your bated breaths at how my evening went?"

Olivia shirked back, retreating to her bed. Esmerelda and Roland glanced to the sides, unable to meet his gaze.

"We'll tell you…..but you can't be mad at us…."

 **Our heroes claim victory in Vale while shadows slowly envelop Horatio. The next tale of our Heroes continues…Read and Review, but most of all enjoy**


	12. A Grimm Eclipse

**Our heroes settle back into school life with the recent defeat of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. A dance upcoming but danger must first be overcome….A Grimm Eclipse comes to light…..**

 **I would like to thank everyone who is reading and enjoying this tale**

Olivia sat staring in awe as Pyrrha completely dismantled Team CRDL.

Classes had resumed and life was returning to normal…as normal as it could be with everything going on. Ms. Goodwitch was in full swing having the student's spar against each other today, even accepting a 4v1 request from Team CRDL.

 _Good thing Velvet is away on that mission with her team to not see Cardin get utterly decimated._

They had developed a new routine; due to Horatio's sadness at missing out on a White Fang Torchwick smack down he wanted them to start working more as a team. Each morning after he returned from drawing Cinder by the cliffs they would all head to the gym to workout followed by a fortifying breakfast before any classes started.

 _He is completely smitten by her, who wouldn't be? What was it? Three mornings of drawing her and he still wasn't done? He MUST be taking his time…not that that is ever a bad thing…_

With a final blow Cardin was knocked out of bounds.

"Winner, Ms. Nikos," Ms. Goodwitch announced, scrolling through her roster. "I know there isn't much that can top that but we have time for one more match…."

Cinder had initially intended Mercury to volunteer to fight Pyrrha Nikos in order to learn more about her…but it was now unnecessary. The girl had been seen in the company of Jaune Arc training so often that Emerald's excursions were more than enough to discover her secret.

Despite her exceptional martial prowess…her semblance was polarity. She would utilize any metal of her opponent be it their weapon, belt, even their shoes to make minor adjustments to their moves and make it appear they could not touch her. Like Horatio she did not broadcast her semblance which made it difficult to counter.

 _Very clever…if only his was so obvious…_

"I would like to fight Ms. Goodwitch."

"Ah, Ms. Fall, of course…let me find an opponent for you…"

"Actually…I would like to fight Horatio if that is ok."

Horatio shook his head as he was still taking notes from the previous match and had only been half paying attention.

"Wait what?"

Ms. Goodwitch scowled somewhat, at Professor Ozpin's request she had purposefully been avoiding placing Horatio in one on one matches as often as possible due to the nature of his…abilities.

 _Sparring with him would serve little purpose than to frustrate the opposing student and belittle their skill no matter how great._ Ozpin's words echoed in her mind.

"Are…you certain Ms. Fall?" She asked.

"Absolutely," she answered, turning to smile at Horatio.

"….Very well," Ms. Goodwitch acquiesced as Cinder approached the arena.

Horatio took his place on the other side, his face a mixture of hesitation and anticipation.

 _He doesn't know whether to be excited at seeing me fight or guilty for fighting me…I'll be sure to put his fears to rest._

Cinder had already changed into her combat attire. She wore a sarashi cloth wrapping tied around her chest leaving her midriff exposed. Over top of it she had a brown sleeveless vest and matching gloves with the fingers cut out. She had traded her uniform skirt for gray pants and boots, a brown belt was wrapped around her waist covered in pouches.

Crossed on her back rested two identical metal blades that appeared to have been expertly made, a set of three dust-infused arrows were secured horizontally to her belt.

"Begin!"

Cinder pushed off the ground, swords drawn and cleared the distance between them in an instant.

She started swinging her blades alternating between them as well as kicks in a furious barrage.

 _Just a little warm up._

Horatio parried her blades using his arms though she theorized that was for little more than show, even if they struck his body it would likely have the same effect. He was moving faster than when he had fought Mercury, blocking each swing at him and ignoring her kicks.

Horatio finally took the initiative and swung an open-palmed strike square into Cinder's chest. Crossing the blades between them she blocked it, barely moving at the impact.

Horatio's mouth dropped open in amazement at her strength to take such a hit. It was the same blow that had sent Mercury flying.

 _Got him._

Cinder brought her legs up and kicked off his chest, giving herself some space.

Horatio hesitated as she kicked off him; he watched her sail through the air and land gracefully on the opposite side of the arena. He was getting more comfortable after seeing how strong she was; he now had a wide grin on his face. Letting out a short chuckle Horatio ran towards her, balling his hands into fists.

With a quick motion Cinder slammed the hilts of her blades together, forming them into a large bow and nocking an arrow in less than a second.

Horatio's eyes widened but it was too late to move now, Cinder fired off the arrow which collided squarely with his face. As soon as the arrow tip touched him it flared red as the fire dust inside exploded into a blast that enveloped Horatio in a black plume of smoke.

The crowd gasped as Cinder nocked a second and third arrow simultaneously and fired them into the cloud setting up two subsequent explosions. As the two additional arrows exploded the black cloud surrounding Horatio detonated into a massive blast as the new explosions ignited the dust particles in the air. Cinder was far enough away though the barrier surrounding the arena was all that prevented the closest students from being scorched.

Silence fell on the room as everyone awaited the smoke to clear, even Cinder just stood as she tried to see what had become of Horatio.

 _That should be impressive enough to fool them…_

A shockwave from Horatio slamming his palms together dispersed the smoke revealing him to still standing where the first arrow had struck him, everything immediately around him was scorched black. He had no visible injury.

"He is still topped off," Emerald whispered through her earpiece, having a good view of Ms. Goodwitch's Aura readout.

Cinder smiled as she raised her hand, signaling to Ms. Goodwitch.

"I concede."

The teacher stared curiously at her early choice of surrender.

"That was my best shot," she lied, motioning to her empty quiver pack. "If that won't do it then I have nothing bigger to throw without better preparation. Anything further would be pointless. He is…clearly in a league of his own."

She threw a wink his way noticed by everyone.

"Very well…winner is Mr. Soplar. Please do be careful on your use of dust weaponry in the classroom next time Ms. Fall, not all of your opponents will be so durable. We do not have time for another match so you are all free until your next course. Remember everyone that the dance is this weekend but you will all have your missions this Monday…I will accept NO excuses for tardiness."

The class started to empty, however Ms. Goodwitch motioned for Ruby, Jaune, Cinder and Horatio to remain.

The remainder of the class exited the room, the rest of the day was free to them and they were all excited with the upcoming dance…Blake was the only exception.

"Hey Blake!" Sun shouted, running to catch up to her. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine," she answered letting out a yawn. She had heavy bags under her eyes from several sleepless nights.

"I uh…heard there was a dance coming up…you know it sounds pretty lame…but I figure you and me…not as lame right?"

"What?"

"The dance!" He repeated, his smile practically beaming. "Would you like to go with me?"

"I don't have time to waste on a stupid dance…I thought you of all people would understand that." Blake turned, leaving Sun standing there looking devastated.

Esmerelda swooped up behind them, catching Blake before she got too far.

"Blake…what's wrong?" she asked softly, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong? How can you all be so calm with this dance? We still haven't uncovered what is going on with the White Fang. We should be out there searching again!"

Esmerelda tightened her grip slightly, trying to impart to Blake that she understood.

"And we will…but we can't be on alert 24/7…no one can live like that. Remember your troops taking out Vacuo…if you had kept attacking non-stop you would have lost…but you waited until the opportune moment. You saved your strength until it was needed."

Blake looked away, it was clear the rationale was sound but she did not want to admit it.

"There are still a few days until the dance…just think on it…please," Esmerelda released Blake's shoulder. "Sun really cares about you…that's not commonplace nowadays."

"I may," was all that Blake said before turning to leave towards their dorm.

"She'll come around," Esmerelda reassured Sun. "Don't let her mood fool you."

"She is something," a smirk returning to his face. "Can't imagine going with anyone else….you have any dates in mind?"

Esmerelda looked away, blushing slightly.

"Yatsuhashi from Team CFVY may have mentioned something if his team made it back in time..."

From further down the courtyard Yang just watched the exchange; uncrossing her arms as her mind was made up…it was time for her and Blake to talk.

 **Back at the classroom…**

"Thank you for staying," Ms. Goodwitch started. "I have called you here because you are the leaders of the top teams currently at Beacon. We have…a situation that should be handled internally."

The four glanced between each other, taking note of everyone chosen. They were clearly confused that only first year teams had been selected.

"Team CRMS is unaware, but one of our 2nd year teams CFVY has been away on a mission to the Emerald Forest for several days. They had been sent to check on technical difficulties with the security network we had set up to monitor Grimm under the supervision of Professor Port."

Cinder listened intently, she knew the higher year students had been away, but with no current active forces in the Emerald Forest she had paid little attention.

"They returned last night after fighting an unexpectedly large number of Grimm. They discovered that the network was being reprogrammed by a third party. We have yet to determine who but symbols bearing the logo of the now defunct Merlot Industries was located on site. You are likely unaware of them as it was well before your time."

"If I may," Horatio raised his hand, familiar with the name from his personal studies. "Merlot Industries was a research and development corporation that specialized in advancing technology to fight Grimm. From what I've read their main headquarters was located in Mountain Glenn."

The mood immediately soured at the mention of Mountain Glenn. The area had been Vale's most recent major attempt to expand beyond their kingdom. It had initially flourished, only to have eventually been overrun by Grimm…very few were known to have survived.

"Very good Mr. Soplar," she complimented. "Indeed, they went out of business after Mountain Glenn's destruction as none of their chief staff were known to have escaped. This makes their logo and equipment appearing in the Emerald Forest all the more puzzling. I first would like to say that all members of Team CFVY are safe and accounted for, minor injuries and weariness notwithstanding."

Horatio and Ruby sighed in relief. Cardin would be relieved as well.

"Professor Ozpin wants this mattered investigated thoroughly and quietly if possible so as not to upset the Vytal festival preparations. As a result this will be considered your first official assignment. First, Ruby…"

"Yes ma'am!" she stood at attention and saluted.

"Team CFVY was initially meant to plan for and prepare the dance coming up this weekend. After what they went through in the Emerald Forest I feel they should have as much rest as possible. I would like Team RWBY to take over dance preparations for this event."

Ruby stared blankly; clearly she had been ready for an order to march into battle.

"Y-yes ma'am," she answered glumly, her previous enthusiasm gone.

"Professor Port brought back some of the equipment from the Emerald Forest that is being looked at by Professor Oobleck. While Ms. Schnee and Ms. Xiao Long handle the dance preparations I would like yourself and Ms. Belladonna to assist him with his research. I know none of you were expecting a mission this early…but this is a unique situation."

She turned to Jaune next.

"Mr. Arc, the primary Merlot Industries facility was located in the main square of Mountain Glenn. Fortunately Grimm activity in the area has been at an all-time low. I want Team JNPR to head to the facility and recover any information you can find that may explain their presence in the Emerald Forest. Professor Peach will guide you via your scrolls."

"You got it Professor, we won't let you down," Jaune answered. He had flourished under Pyrrha's continued training. His sword skill impressed many of the other first years and his tactics made JNPR a force to be reckoned with.

"Lastly, Ms. Fall…Mr. Soplar…"

"Ma'am!" Horatio stood at attention, Cinder following suit.

"Some of the data recovered from the Emerald Forest points to possible further sabotage in Forever Fall, I believe you remember the region?"

"Yes ma'am," Horatio replied. Professor Peach and Ms. Goodwitch had taken them out that way several weeks earlier to collect red sap.

"Excellent," the information recovered by Team CFVY from the sabotage devices point to a Merlot Industries facility in the region but not its exact location. To cover as much area as possible I want both Team CRMS and HERO to work in conjunction and search the area. Professor Oobleck will be your contact over your scrolls, his and Team RWBY's research may narrow down the search area. If anything is located you are to report back immediately, NOT to engage. Is that understood?"

"Crystal clear," Cinder acknowledged.

"Very good," relay this to your teams, the Bullheads will be ready to depart within two hours.

Ruby and Jaune left to inform them, Cinder close behind, hesitating a moment as she noticed Horatio remained to speak with Ms. Goodwitch.

"I did have a question related to the mission parameters Ms. Goodwitch," he started. "How long is this mission estimated to last?"

Ms. Goodwitch stared at him, her emerald eyes piercing his as she knew immediately the reason behind his question.

"It is our hope all of your teams will be recovered and back on campus within 24 hours…you and Ms. Fall should have plenty of time to make the dance this Sunday."

"I…I haven't asked Ms. F…I mean Cinder, I mean…..Thank you ma'am!" he replied stuttering, turning to run out and locate his team.

He was in such a hurry he did not notice that Cinder had held back watching the exchange.

"Did you hear that?"

"We did," Emerald answered over their earpiece. "Whoever is sabotaging their equipment it isn't one of ours. What are you thinking?"

"I think…." Cinder smiled as the idea entered her head. "That this is the perfect opportunity for some field observations…make sure Neo is on hand at the Bullhead in two hours."

 **Back in the classroom…**

Ms. Goodwitch bid farewell to Horatio as he raced off to prepare his team. Professor Ozpin was quite clear that Horatio should be a part of the larger search team, their backup was her discretion. "He must hone his skills as soon as possible if he is to succeed," he had said.

 _Sometimes I wish he wouldn't be so cryptic…_

Glynda had looked up team CRMS' transcripts after her run in with Cinder and Horatio near the cliffs. She found it odd that Leonardo had never mentioned apparently his best students based on their scores. They were nearly as good as Team STRQ's first year records…

 _Was he keeping them a surprise for the Vytal Festival? Leo you sneaky…_

Her scroll began to buzz, turning it over she saw the photo of James Ironwood she had programmed into it when he called, his face serious and stoic.

Unconsciously she smoothed her hair before answering despite the fact it was an audio only call.

"Hello James," she answered as serious as ever.

"Glynda!" His voice came in over the channel. "As you requested I sent over a file on my potential concerns for the Vytal Festival security. Nothing too great as you and the other Professors have been doing a fine job."

"Excellent," she confirmed she had received the attachment. "I will forward these over right away for review. With luck the Festival can begin within the next two weeks."

"Excellent," James repeated. "I also hear you are holding a dance this weekend for the students."

"That is correct."

"I imagine you could use as many chaperones as you can find. Perhaps I could attend to assist with the night's festivities...as your date."

"That would be most agreeable," though her voice remained unchanged Glynda could not help but let a smile cross her face.

"I…I am….most honored," he replied. And Glynda…."

Her ears perked up at the sudden gentleness in his voice.

"Thank you for stopping by the other night…I needed that. My arm hasn't been acting up as much as it usually does. It never does around you. I'll see you at the dance."

The call ended with that last word, Glynda could only stand staring at her now blank scroll with a soft sigh.

 _Is this really a good idea?_

 **Elsewhere in Beacon…**

Roland was running through the halls having just received the orders from Horatio.

 _A mission even before our first scheduled outing…why'd it have to be right before the dance._

Roland was looking for Yang, apparently the mission was supposed to end well before Sunday night but he didn't want to take any chances. He had tried to call but her scroll was turned off, all Ruby was sure of was that she had headed back to the school.

Roland was looking everywhere, she was not in the dorms or side buildings, next were the main courtyard and lecture hall. He looked around the fountain where they had taken their team photos, no sign of her. Kicking the side of the stone he looked up, a strange shadow catching his eye.

Out of nowhere a raven suddenly swooped low, its beak scratching his cheek as it missed colliding with him by an inch. As quickly as it had dived down the black bird corrected its path and disappeared into the sky.

"Stupid bird!" Roland shouted in frustration, rubbing his bleeding cheek. The wound was small but stung; he had enough to worry about without nature coming after him too. With a huff he headed inside.

He rounded a corner into the main lecture hall and froze in his tracks. Yang and Blake were standing between the desk and blackboard embracing one another. He could not see Yang's face, but Blake looked like she was on the verge of tears. He quickly ducked to the side and out of sight.

 _What did I just walk in on?_

"I'm not asking you to stop," Yang told Blake just loudly enough for Roland to hear. "Just please…get some rest, not just for you, but for the people you care about."

She released Blake from the hug and started towards the exit in Roland's direction.

"And if you feel like coming out this Sunday…I'll save you a dance," she turned to wink back at her.

Roland suddenly felt incredibly guilty for hiding, with a look of shame he emerged from his hiding place, scratching the back of his head nervously as Yang approached.

"I didn't mean to overhear, I just…"

Yang didn't seem to even mind his presence; she had a serene, calm smile that he had never seen her wear before that only widened when she saw him. It suited her well.

 _As if she could get any more beautiful_

"It's ok," she whispered as she took his arm and the two walked out of the hall together.

"I hope you can save a dance for me too," he finally choked out. "T-the mission is supposed to be done in time. I was hoping we…"

Yang leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, his entire face turned red as the prepared speech was totally forgotten.

"Of course, Weiss and I are making sure everything will be perfect Sunday…though I hope you don't mind sharing me for a dance."

Roland swallowed hard.

 _She never lets me finish_ , he chuckled in his head.

"Of course, you know how generous I am. Is it something you…want to talk about?" Roland squeezed her arm a bit tighter as he asked.

"Someday…but not now…when we have some time."

He smiled in return, not even bothering to think of a pun. All he wanted to do was cherish the moment as they walked together until he would have to meet everyone at the Bullhead. It wasn't what he was expecting…but it was nice.

He didn't even notice the same raven that had attacked him sitting on a tree outside watching them closely.

 **Team JNPR Dormitory**

It was an odd situation to say the least; Ren was not sure what to do.

Jaune had returned from classes rushing everyone to prepare and be set in two hours….he had just stepped out of the shower when hearing the news.

Rather than letting him get dressed Jaune had pulled Ren to the side and the two were currently sitting side by side on his bed...Ren was still just wearing the towel.

"Ren…I'm just gonna come out and say it…you…are one of my BEST friends. These past few months I feel like we've really bonded…even though you don't say much. I mean you are really quiet."

As he spoke Ren slowly reached his hand towards the closet where his clothes hung just out of reach.

 _Just…another…few inches._

"To be honest…I don't know that much about you personally but DARN IT I consider you to be the brother I never had."

"And I you," Ren replied honestly, his right arm still reaching for the closet.

"That is why before Pyrrha returns and we have to set out on this mission I wanted to get your advice on…girls."

"Girls?" Ren snapped his hand back to his lap as Jaune turned to look at him.

"I just…don't know how to….um girls."

 _Such wise words._

"I guess what I'm asking is….how did you and Nora…."

"Uhhhhhh…." For once Ren wanted to speak…but did not have the words.

"Ahem," came a cute squeak from the opposite bed.

Nora was sitting on the bed, a half-read comic in hand. When Jaune came in he had demanded she put her headphones on and turn up the music…clearly she had not listened.

"We're not actually….together together…."

"You two are already going together, that's enough to make Ren the expert….and Nora I said headphones on!" He shouted, Nora complying instantly with a whimper of embarrassment.

"Jaune," Ren turned, having abandoned donning his clothes. "What is this all about?"

"It's….Pyrrha…"

Nora's headphone on her left ear shifted instantly seemingly on its own to allow her to hear, Jaune did not notice.

"She has been amazing all year. When I arrived I was an awkward bumbling kid who didn't deserve to be here."

Ren opened his mouth to protest but Jaune motioned for him to wait, he wasn't done.

"Now…I am an awkward bumbling kid…but one who has learned so much. I feel like I belong here. I…want to ask her to the dance…but I just don't see how I deserve someone like her."

"You could always just ask," Ren offered. "You two spend so much time together as it is…do you really think she would be upset?"

Nora was starting to shiver on the bed, crumpling the comic she was clearly not reading. She wanted to intervene with every fiber of her being.

"I just…" Jaune stood up, turning to face Ren. "I don't want to risk losing what we have. Do you think that could happen?"

Ren's eyes darted to the side as he caught something before quickly snapping back to Jaune, he inhaled deeply as he spoke his mind.

"Well…maybe it would help to hear it out loud. If you did ask her out what would you say? Practice on me."

"O…" Jaune hesitated, clearly unprepared. "This is awkward."

"More or less than it would be if I was actually Pyrrha?"

"True," Jaune coughed a few times as he cleared his throat. "Ren….Pyrrha, I can't even describe how amazing this year has been since I came to Beacon. For the first time in my life I feel like I can actually accomplish what I came here for…to be a hero and protect the people I love."

Nora glanced at him over her comic, breathing heavily; she had to see how this ended.

"And I only feel this way thanks to you…your kindness, your strength…you helped me and have made me a better person just by knowing you. I know I have no right to ask this but…I care about you Pyrrha…and I…darn it I wanted to ask if you would like to go to the dance together Sunday!"

"Yes, I would love to."

The reply did not come from Ren or Nora.

Jaune spun around so fast he nearly clipped Ren with his sword. Pyrrha was standing at the entrance to the dormitory…she had been there since shortly after Jaune got up.

Ren dove off the bed; grabbing his clothes he rolled out the door…he could change in the bathroom at the end of the hall. No one saw what happened to Nora, all that remained was her silhouette in dust next to the open window, Jaune and Pyrrha were now alone.

"Pyrrha…I…I've got so much to say but…I'm going to kill Ren first," Jaune stuttered, his face beat red and growing redder still.

"Perhaps it could wait until after the mission," Pyrrha smiled; slowly she walked up to Jaune until she was right in front of him. "I believe they wanted all four of us together."

Jaune reached out and took her hands when she was close enough though he didn't know quite what to do with them.

"You mean…you feel the same way I…." Jaune did not get a chance to finish; Pyrrha was already nodding, her eyes welling up with joy.

Jaune did not know what to do with her hands but he knew what he wanted. Releasing her hands he threw his arms around her, pulling her in for his first kiss.

Their lips met tenderly, Pyrrha reciprocating it gladly. The two just stood there, arms around one another. A perfect moment in time.

 _She's so warm_ , Jaune thought _…she always has been..._

Outside the open window Nora held on to the ledge by a hand, giggling uncontrollably with a huge smile on her face. They would need to head out for the mission soon but for now it could wait.

 _IT…..IS…..HAPPENING!_

 **Beacon Landing Platform…**

The first of the Bullheads had already departed, the first flying off to drop Team JNPR as close to the center of Mountain Glenn as possible. The second would be ferrying Team CRMS and HERO to Forever Fall.

The two teams stood side by side as they boarded the vehicle, with the design of the interior they would be facing each other for the flight.

Esmerelda and Ray faced each other in utter silence; Olivia was trying to get hair style tips from Emerald with little success while Mercury was asking what Roland made his shield from.

"I am glad to see our teammates get along so well," Horatio shouted to Cinder, barely able to hear himself over the roar of the engine at takeoff. "They haven't spent that much time together."

"They adapt well to any given situation," Cinder shouted back, she technically did not lie.

"We'll need to divide our forces to cover more ground. Olivia is an excellent scout and apt in stealth. I would suggest she scour the far edge of the forest, there's more Grimm there so she could remain unnoticed."

"I agree," Cinder liked this side of him, given some time he could be as calculating as she was. "Ray is similarly skilled; she can travel with her and act as backup. If need be they can split up to cover the area."

"Perfect," Horatio looked over the holographic map of Forever Fall and where Professor Oobleck theorized the most likely locations of this facility may lie. "There was a series of underground tunnels on the edge of the forest here…could be a good location for a hidden facility."

"Mercury can go, that would be a confined space and could be trouble if there is a high Grimm presence. He is quite good in such a fighting field."

"I am aware of that first hand," Horatio replied with a smirk, "Esmerelda can go with him. With her ability to duplicate her weapons it would be difficult for larger Grimm to avoid her in there. That leaves Emerald and Roland to search the abandoned railway."

Horatio pointed out the long railroad that had long ago connected Forever Fall and Mountain Glenn but was wrecked to prevent the Grimm from following it to other populated areas.

"And us," Cinder placed her hand over and gripped Horatio's, guiding it towards the end of the tracks. "There are miles of tracks; I suggest they begin searching at the start while we begin at the end and work our way to the coast.

"That…would work," he replied with a smile, turning to the rest of the team. "Everyone understand their roles? Whichever group locates the facility will not engage…pull back, signal the rest of us and wait for backup."

Everyone gave a thumbs up acknowledging the orders.

"We'll be landing at the first drop point in twenty minutes," Their pilot called back.

Horatio leaned back; Cinder did the same, her calm smile never fading from her face before closing her eyes, no doubt meditating for the mission.

Horatio tried but could not do the same. After a few moments he gave up and leaned back, planning what to do once they touched down. Reaching into his vest he produced Twin Worlds: The Birth of an Age and started reading. He'd only finished the first couple chapters but it had already drawn him in.

 _The world being created by twin gods?_ Horatio could not stop reading, it was a different concept from any he'd heard but much of the evidence provided matched old Huntsman tales and legends to a point. _What a fascinating theory._

 **Team's CRMS and HERO take flight to Forever Fall, Team JNPR also deployed to the field. How will the respective teams handle their first mission out of Beacon? Read and Review but most of all enjoy**


	13. A Skip and a Boat Ride Away

**Teams CRMS, HERO and JNPR embark on a mission to uncover the source of the mysterious devices…will they solve the mystery and make it in time for the dance with those they hold most dear?**

The Bullhead did not land; rather it neared the ground just close enough for the last remaining Huntsman and Huntress to disembark of their own accord.

 _If one landing strategy works…why change it._

Horatio slammed into the ground leaving a considerable dent. Cinder's strategy was far more refined, firing an arrow with a long band into a tree which wrapped around it to slow her fall, landing gracefully with a flip.

The Bullhead set them down outside a set of ruins leading to the coast; they had performed an aerial survey but could not get much closer due to the airborne Grimm activity. With the extensive mountains surrounding the region trying to go around the ruins would have cost them hours.

"If the map was accurate the coastline should be just past these ruins. Have you ever had an interest in history?"

Cinder looked them over, setting her hand on a stone carving of what appeared to be a woman holding an orb though the head and much of the shoulders had been worn away by time.

"Sometimes I wonder what they were like before us…what they were capable of," she mused, barely seeming to be talking to Horatio.

 _A bit of an historian in her._

The made their way through the stone ruins, it was quite beautiful with the natural ambiance of Forever Fall. The trees were a vibrant crimson with leaves that never seemed to end, falling from the trees and covering the ground as far as they could see. Even where there were no trees the red grass continued the trend.

The historical consensus was that Forever Fall was one of the few areas outside Vale where humans were able to hold against the Grimm in pre-technological days. They had built great stone structures similar to the ones in the Emerald Forest to hold the Grimm hordes at bay…though in the end they had either been overrun or merged with the growing Kingdom of Vale, many historians debated on which was more likely.

"If it weren't for the Grimm this would be a beautiful place to live," Horatio spoke aloud; it would not be long before they reached the end of the ruins.

"But would it be worth it?" Cinder asked him, not turning from the path.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…wouldn't it be too easy to just…live day by day? With the Grimm they must have held such pride defending their home from them. It would give living here greater meaning than without them…and driven them to becoming stronger."

 _What is she getting at?_

"You think the Grimm attacking is a good thing?"

Cinder finally stopped, turning to give Horatio her full attention.

"What I mean is…if you live without opposition you stagnate, you have no need to improve yourself. You said these people lived during a time before technology helped them fight off the Grimm…would it be so far to theorize that the extreme increase in our technological prowess is due to their need for survival?"

"I…suppose not," Horatio had to agree…as much as he disagreed with the circumstances. "Still…I would like to think humanity can improve itself without impending destruction by soulless monsters driving us."

"That doesn't mean our current institution is our only option." Cinder put forward, unknowingly sewing her seeds for the future in Horatio's mind. "Huntsman have been fighting Grimm for…all of history, thousands of years with no end in sight. Does that sound like a good future, to fight monsters for all eternity?"

 _Where is this coming from?_ Horatio had never seen this side of her before. "If…you feel that way then why did you become a huntress?"

Cinder paused a moment, possibly regretting having said anything.

"Power," she answered honestly. "To be stronger than I was, is that not why you became one?"

Horatio thought about it, he had not considered his reasons in a long time, he had started combat training when he was still in single digits.

"I guess that was my reason at first…to become strong enough to protect those I care about. For whom did you want strength for?"

Cinder turned away again unwilling to answer. Horatio felt guilty that they had not spoken much during their portrait sessions…now he was intrigued by her more than ever…and a touch wary at what he may learn.

"We should start with opening this door," she pointed to the wall she had stopped at.

It was clearly the way forward; however it was blocked by an enormous stone slab. The slab, aside from the wear of the ages, was almost perfectly smooth without hinge or slot to attempt to pry or wedge it open.

Horatio analyzed the door, he could likely just break it down or a few of Cinder's dust arrows would do the trick, but that would risk a cave-in. On top of that his heart ached a bit at the thought of destroying something that had lasted so long. It had to weigh at least a few dozen tons, little chance of prying it open without a better wedge. The ruined structure was far from pristine.

"Ancient culture was a fan of puzzle doors," Horatio spoke aloud as he analyzed the area. "Most Grimm are incapable of complex thought processes until they are much older."

"That is correct," Professor Oobleck's voice echoed through his scroll. "Doors such as these would have required stone keys to use, likely fitting into that indentation on the right.

The Professor could see the area through the camera built into Horatio and Cinder's scrolls.

"Has this area been searched in recent years Professor?" Horatio asked.

"Not recently, and it's DOCTOR Oobleck thank you very much. I would advise searching the area, look in any crevices or devices that may have once served as containers. This may take some time, the ancient humans and faunus who lived here were known for their crafty…"

"Is this it?" Cinder produced a square stone block with intricate designs matching the door.

"Where did you find that?" Horatio looked on amazed.

"It was just in an old vase right over there," she motioned to a nearby collection of ancient pottery. A single vase was broken among the group…apparently the first Cinder had searched.

Neither Dr. Oobleck nor Horatio had any words and remained in dumbfounded silence as Cinder placed the block into the indentation with a resounding click. The door rumbled for a moment before sliding open and revealing the path ahead.

"Any updates from the other teams? We haven't heard from them since they touched down."

"No findings so far," Dr. Oobleck replied. "There seems to be some interference preventing contact between your scrolls, even my signal is just barely making it through. At last word they were all scouring their respective regions, some Grimm contacts but nothing they could not handle or anything out of the ordinary."

"Thank you Pr….Doctor. We're almost through the ruins here; no sign of ground-based Grimm yet, just the airborne ones and they seem to be ignoring us."

"No Grimm on land…at all?"

"None sir."

"Odd…most odd indeed, just six months ago that area had a spike of activity, we were worried about sending your teams in…most perplexing indeed. The rest of your teammates report similar lack of higher concentrations of Grimm….Team JNPR on the other hand has been wading through scores of them in Mountain Glenn."

"Maybe they just know better," Cinder remarked with a smirk as they found a passageway leading outside. Horatio had to squint as they re-emerged in the open to see the welcome sight of the sun above.

"I…don't think that is supposed to be there," Horatio pointed out sarcastically.

In the distance they could see a vessel, enormous in scope covered in metal containers sailing along the coast. It looked quite modern, its technology similar to Atlas only pitch black rather than the pure white and blue.

"How did this go unnoticed?" Cinder looked on, exasperated at how blind Vale must be to not realize ships of this size were in their very territory.

"That appears to be an active Merlot Industry vessel," Oobleck continued to explain. "But Dr. Merlot has not been heard from or seen in years. I must inform Professor Ozpin at once. Meanwhile I want you to investigate that ship, but please keep a safe distance."

"Understood Doctor." Horatio acknowledged before setting his scroll away. "It looks like there is a path leading up the mountain. We should be able to follow it along the coast."

"And here I was hoping we could swim," Cinder whispered in a suggestive tone, low enough that their scrolls wouldn't register it."

Horatio turned red as she let out a chuckle and started up the mountain path, Horatio close behind.

 **TEAM JNPR**

Jaune rubbed the back of his head; a large throbbing bump had formed where he had hit it upon impact with the ground. Other than that he seemed fine, he still felt pressure on his chest though, had debris fallen on him?

His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he realized that Pyrrha was sitting on him clearly as dazed as he was. She had landed right on top of him in almost the same pose that Weiss had back in the Emerald Forest.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted, finally realizing her position. "Are you ok?" Strangely enough she was asking while still sitting on top of him.

"Funny," he groaned as she finally got up. "I was about to ask you the same question."

Ren and Nora were nearby in a similar position, only it was Nora who had fallen first breaking Ren's fall. Nora was lying on the ground humming cheerily, letting Ren take his time getting his bearings with no rush for him to get off her.

Where were they? Jaune wondered to himself. The last thing he remembered was their team coming up on the old Merlot Industries Headquarters only to be jumped by a pack of Grimm led by an enormous Ursa Major. They had managed to bring it down with coordinated attacks but the Headquarters and surrounding area suddenly began to collapse, dropping them down a dark chasm.

"Come….students….read me….?" Professor Peach's voice crackled to life over the scroll, Jaune quickly pulling his out.

"We are here Professor, everyone is alright. We appear to be in some sort of underground tunnel."

"O deary me, the collapse must have dropped you into Mountain Glenn's subterranean passages…we have no estimate on Grimm numbers in that area. Can you get out the way you came in?"

Jaune looked up, barely able to see the rays of light beaming through the hole they had made far in the distance. There were no grips or ledges to grab onto for a climb or jump up; he was astonished their auras handled a fall from such a height.

"Doesn't look that way ma'am."

"Confound it! Try to find another way out…but be careful! I will relay your status to the other teams."

Jaune put away his scroll, Ren had finally gotten to his feet and Nora was busy brushing dust from his clothes. Thankfully the tunnel system seemed to run in only one direction, with any luck it would lead to an alternate exit to the surface.

"Ren, scout ahead but keep out of site, Nora watch our backs in case anything tries to sneak up on us. Keep in contact via scroll."

They both acknowledged their jobs, in a flash Ren was out of site, Nora falling back to an appropriate distance to give fair warning of attacks.

"Pyrrha, if we run into Grimm we'll lock our shields and hold tight. With Nora behind us we'll be fine."

"Understood," she walked alongside Jaune as they made their way through the tunnels. She could not be more proud of him.

The tunnels were run down and stank of mold. The area was humid with trails of water leading through the ground. Jaune hoped if there was a split the water may lead out.

"I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been," Jaune finally spoke after a while of walking without incident. "To be trapped down here and Grimm everywhere…"

"They did not have the natural boundaries that protect Vale," Pyrrha explained. "The Grimm were just far too numerous…they always are."

"How?" Jaune was sounding frustrated; he must have been giving their roles as Huntsman and Huntresses a lot of thought. "How can they be so numerous that we never see an end in sight? They have to come from somewhere."

"And until we find that somewhere," Pyrrha reassured him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "We keep fighting them and make sure another Mountain Glenn does not occur."

Jaune turned, her smile never failing to lift his spirits.

"How did it take me so long to notice y…"

"Grimm," a buzz from his scroll sounded Ren's voice. "Several packs of Beowolves…and something else."

"What do you mean?"

"It looks like a Creeper but…it's green."

Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged confused glances. Creepers were a smaller breed of Grimm and noted as one of the least dangerous. They had little fear of them outside ambushes as they were notorious for their ability to burrow through the ground. No classes they had attended mentioned a green coloration.

"Green?"

"Some kind of cloud or miasma…the other Grimm are avoiding it which may work in our favor. The green one is following the same path as us. If we wait a little while the other packs should move on."

"Thanks Ren, find a safe place for us and we'll catch up. We can take a break while we wait for their numbers to thin. Did you get all of that Nora?"

"Loud and clear!" Nora's voice over the scroll sang in her usual chipper tone.

"Glad we brought supplies," Jaune chuckled as he dug through his pack. "Once we catch up with Ren we'll plan our next step…find out where that strange Grimm is heading, hopefully out of here."

 **Forever Fall Railway…**

Roland and Emerald trudged along the abandoned railway as they had for several hours; they had been the second to be let off after Olivia and Ray. They had mostly been following it in respectful silence. They came across the occasional Beowolf or Creeper but nowhere near the packs they were fearful of fighting.

Roland was becoming quite impressed with Emerald, she wielded her weapons well. They at first appeared to be simple dual green pistols, however when needed in melee she transformed them into twin chain-scythes that could shred a Beowolf in an instant. He had intended to protect her in combat but unlike Esmerelda she needed to be mobile to remain effective.

"I know I said we could handle anything…but I was hoping to find SOMETHING," Roland griped as they surveyed the abandoned railway tracks before them.

"Don't complain of a chance to get an easy job for once," Emerald replied with great enthusiasm. She was always so kind and her demeanor never seemed to waver. "With how easy this is we'll be done and back in time for the dance easy."

Roland's spirits brightened at her words, a vision of the beautiful golden goddess shimmering into his mind. "You have someone in mind?"

Emerald only looked at him, tilting her head cutely. "Isn't it rude to make a lady talk first?"

Roland chuckled. "There's only one woman for me. I asked Yang before we left."

Emerald made the most over the top shocked expression she could muster. "No…you mean the girl you spend almost every moment with and talk about how amazing she is 24/7 is the girl you asked? Scoop of the decade that one."

"Call me predictable, I prefer the term reliable…it's my….golden rule." He looked at Emerald expectantly; he clearly was looking for her answer and to see what she thought of his pun.

"Mercury may have mentioned his intention to go," she admitted, ignoring his pun at Yang's hair color. "No word yet but no doubt after the mission…"

"I thought you two looked close," Roland chuckled. "You make a cute couple."

Emerald turned away and did not answer; he could swear he heard her stifle a laugh.

The two continued down the railway path in silence, they clearly had not been used in years. The tracks were cut off at certain points; it seemed that areas passing through cliffs or stonework had been purposefully collapsed. No doubt this was done by the people who lived there to prevent the Grimm from following them.

"How did someone transport devices to the Emerald Forest from Forever Fall without use of the tracks?" Roland asked aloud, hoping for Emerald's input. "You would need an airship to traverse these cliffs."

"Maybe it is the coast," Emerald spoke up at last. "If so our invincible leaders will be sure to find them."

"You really respect Cinder," Roland said as a statement rather than a question.

"I owe her everything," Emerald smiled. "I wouldn't be half the woman I am today were it not for her."

"What did she do? If I may ask," he added quickly.

"She saved me; don't you feel the same about Horatio?"

Roland thought for a moment. "I certainly trust him…he is like a force of nature."

Emerald glanced back to listen, trying to act only somewhat interested.

"You saw his fight with Mercury…as strong as he was, no offense to your team, he didn't even scratch him. I've seen him take hits from Grimm that would have crushed anyone else…yet he acted like it was nothing….if he ever got serious against something….heaven help them."

They finally reached the end of the tracks, only a crumbled tunnel entrance greeted them, no sign of any facility or similar equipment.

"Nothing," Roland groaned. The remaining sealed pathway ahead led underground and came out further up where Cinder and Horatio had been dropped off.

"I thought this tunnel was supposed to be open to us," Emerald pointed out. "But it's caved in…"

Roland looked around suspiciously. They had not felt any quakes or tremors that could have sealed it in the few scant hours since they were dropped off.

"Beowolves!" Emerald shouted, immediately picking off one that had emerged from the tall grass.

Roland turned, one had nearly crept up on him without his realizing it, with a powerful shield bash he sent it flying back the way it came.

Emerald was already swiftly making short work of the small pack that had surrounded her; clearly they considered her the greater threat. Performing a series of headshots she dropped the first two before transforming her weapons into their scythe form. With a leap she wrapped the metal chain around the necks of four of them, pulling hard with her body weight to drag them together to a central point. Once they were all together she leapt atop their shoulders, before they could target her she hooked a scythe around two of their necks each. Pulling the triggers, the force took all of their heads off; she jumped away and landed with a smile.

"Emerald…back away to me…now."

Emerald turned around, her eyes going wide, what they had mistaken for part of the rubble blocking the path had suddenly started moving…standing on two enormous feet. Emerald turned and unloaded a volley into the shape.

Every shot ricocheted away harmlessly.

"Wh-what is that?" Emerald asked as she complied, retreating behind his shield for the first time that day.

It was clearly an Alpha Beowolf…or had once been, possibly the pack leader of the ones they had fought…but it was wrong…an anomaly or mutant perhaps. It had strange green crystals all over its back and shoulders; veins ran throughout its body of the same color, even its red eyes had been twisted into a blank pale green stare.

And it was huge…easily twice as big as any Alpha Beowolf he had ever seen. It was nearly as tall as the enormous Ursa they had fought in the Emerald Forest.

 _But this time I don't have my team._

Roland glanced to Emerald as he thought this…he was not alone.

"Stay behind me, take shots when you can but nothing unnecessarily dangerous," he shouted. "Try to find a weakness in its skin, perhaps the eyes!"

The Mutant Beowolf bellowed out a powerful roar as it charged, claws slashing furiously producing enough momentum to carry it towards Roland and Emerald.

 **At the Coastline…**

"This is huge," Horatio whispered to Cinder as they hid behind a boulder watching the ship pull in.

 _No kidding._

They had made their way along the path and found where the ship made port. It was a small dock but was filled with even more shipping containers. Upon prying one open they discovered why there had been a notable lack of Grimm in the area…they were being caged. Each container they opened was filled wall to wall with captured Grimm thrashing and gnawing in their attempts to escape. It was logical to assume every container was similarly filled.

"We have to inform Doctor Oobleck," Horatio pulled out his scroll and started inputting his information. As soon as he pressed the connect button a blaring alarm went off, a klaxon wail booming all around them

"They must have sensors to detect scroll signals," Cinder shouted over the sound, drawing her swords from her back.

As Cinder expected, the ship's countermeasures did not take long to arrive. In a matter of seconds loud clanks like metal on rock began to draw closer, she peaked over their hiding spot.

Near the ship were at least a dozen humanoid shapes, though that is all that made them appear human. It was clear they were made of technology mimicking or perhaps based on Atlas android models. The shapes were all mechanical androids each towering at least twice Cinder's own height. They were colored bright red and each held in their hands a massive energy Halberd longer than they were. The symbols on their chest matched the Merlot Industry logo that had been popping up.

And they were slowly approaching their hiding place.

"We cannot go back," Cinder pointed out. The path they had traversed up to the coast was wide open with little cover; they'd be outrun for sure.

"We fight then."

"If we shred their entire force the ship will have time to retreat and we'll never find the facility." With how small the port was it was unlikely this was their main base of operations.

Horatio lowered his head in thought, his mind clearly racing a mile a minute.

"I'll distract them," he replied at length. "I will fight to draw off as many as I can…when I do you can sneak around them. Once you are safe try to place a tracking device on the ship. If it is not seen Beacon can then track it from a distance. After the tracker is in place we withdraw."

"You don't have to do this," Cinder whispered, laying her hand on his cheek.

She knew full well he would do it, and this would give her a perfect opportunity to see what he could do…still she found herself genuinely hoping he succeeded with little injury.

Horatio took her left hand and kissed it as he had outside her dorm the first night. With that he leapt over the crates without a word, landing squarely on the shoulders of the closest android, slamming his fist down hard on its head.

The mechanical soldier was surprisingly durable, barely staggering at his blow, it brought the energy Halberd up and attempted to swat Horatio off of it. The other mechanical constructs surrounding it lowered their halberds menacingly and advanced.

In the chaos Cinder crept around the battle, locating a container still being loaded onto the ship. Without making a sound she clipped the tracking bug they had been provided for the mission onto the side.

 _Hmmm…those robots are quite formidable…maybe we could get a better look at their creator…._

"Roman, change of plans," she started. Whatever the interference blocking scroll signals was it had no effect on hers. Dr. Watts was too good for that. "I have a signal for you to track…"

Upon activating the bug she cracked open the container with a blow of her swords, releasing its dangerous payload of Creeper and Beowolf Grimm. The monsters, desperate for freedom climbed over each other and scattered to the surrounding hills. After the small stampede had cleared she climbed inside, disappearing into the back.

On the other side of the port Horatio bull rushed the closest enemy, shrugging off the rapid Halberd blows, clipping it at the knees and bringing it to the ground. He had already smashed four of them but the remaining eight were grouping up in a phalanx formation.

 _Those halberds actually sting, what energy source are they using?_

Horatio did not want a protracted fight, these things were immensely strong. He would be fine if he was careful but there were so many. Cinder was sure to be done planting the bug by now so he pulled back to the ship where he had last seen her.

Rounding a corner a hidden thirteenth android emerged and thrust its halberd squarely in his face, he had no time to dodge.

Horatio grabbed the energy blade of the halberd with his bare hands, pushing back as hard as he could. The glow of the blade seemed to brighten the tighter he squeezed; the heat burned his palm to the point even the aura surrounding his hand became visible, its golden shimmer started to crack.

Slamming his foot into the ground with a grunt Horatio pushed his hands together with renewed strength, shattering the blade in an instant, shutting off the annoying hum of energy.

Its halberd broken, the crimson android grabbed him squarely by the throat, lifting him off the ground. Horatio strained his neck against the vice-like grip, punching at its arm again and again, his first blows did nothing, but after the fourth strike the arm began to dent, it was working.

The android caught on and instead turned, throwing Horatio toward the nearest container. The container had been opened and he flew into the back with a metallic clang.

Horatio was unharmed, but as he got to his feet the door of the container sealed shut, locking him in absolute darkness. Before he could start pounding on the walls the entire container shifted, sending him hurtling to the ends and back as it spun.

 _We're in the air…the ship must be loading us aboard!_

Horatio was thrown into the wall again; he put his hands in front of him in preparation for the hit, however this time he impacted something soft that cushioned his blow. The unknown object however let out a quiet grunt, much to his surprise.

"Cinder," Horatio asked in the absolute darkness recognizing her voice. "Is that you?"

"It is…and seeing as we are on a mission I believe it would be best for you to move your hands."

"Sorry," Horatio swiftly complied.

The two were lurched forward once more as the container was finally set down, likely aboard the very ship they sought to find. As Horatio fumbled in the dark again a sudden flare of light forced him to squint and shield his eyes. Cinder had ignited one of her dust arrows, not enough to detonate it, but enough for the dust catalyst to illuminate the room they found themselves inside.

"They got you too?"

"Yes," Cinder lied. "They are quite strong, I was forced to retreat inside this container…apparently they did not wish to pursue."

"Might be programmed to stay out to prevent any accidents with the Grimm…or maybe they are treating us like Grimm," Horatio theorized.

Cinder spotted his hands in the failing light; his aura was cracked but quickly mending itself…his palms red and inflamed.

 _So he has…SOME limit…_

"You're hurt!" she sounded concerned pointing to his hands. "What happened?

"I'm fine, just an annoying run-in with a halberd of theirs," he reassured her. "I'll have us out in a moment." He started to wind up on the nearest wall.

"Wait!" Cinder grabbed his arm, deflating it of all strength. "Do you feel that movement?"

Horatio focused, the entire floor felt quite unsteady, there was no doubt they were on the open water.

"This ship must be heading to their facility," she explained. "If we wait for it to reach land we can find it and get to the bottom of this."

Cinder placed the tip of her arrow to the wall and very carefully used the heat to carve a small hole just large enough for them to peer through. It gave them an unobstructed view of the main deck and ocean beyond.

Androids patrolled the deck, wandering aimlessly or performing minor tasks such as moving containers or corralling Grimm. They did not appear to care about or be aware of the stowaways.

"Nothing but ocean," Cinder reported upon looking past the ship's hull. "I cannot see the coast either past this fog."

Horatio pulled out his scroll and entered the information for Dr. Oobleck. Only static greeted him.

"Dr. Oobleck come in…Dr. Oobleck do you read me?"

No response.

"If you can hear us," Horatio continued in case the interference only prevented reception. "We are currently inside a container aboard the Merlot Industries vessel. Current destination is unknown however sight of the coast has been obscured by fog. We will attempt to locate higher ground at earliest chance for better reception."

His message completed, Horatio relaxed, slumping against the very wall he had sought to destroy. "Professor Ozpin is not going to like this, we were just supposed to survey." Horatio thought back to the holographic readout they had been given for the mission, trying to think where the ship could be heading at such speed.

"There were no islands or nearby land masses according to the map…perhaps they have some sort of off-shore base they constructed."

"If that's the case we have no idea how long it may take to arrive," Cinder sighed as she stretched her arms, obviously annoyed at the amount of time they would likely be cooped up in that container.

"It could be worse," Horatio tried to reassure her. There was nothing they could do until they landed, any commotion made on deck might result in a course change. "Until then we can wait…or we can talk?"

"What about?"

Horatio looked up as if deciding on a topic despite already having one chosen. "How about…the upcoming dance?" He blurted out, immediately regretting his decision. This was hardly the time…but he feared it may be the last chance.

Cinder's smile creeped back onto her face though she did her best to contain it. "No one's asked me yet; I was planning on sitting the evening out. Mercury and Emerald were going to attend. I suppose you have a nice girl you plan on asking?" she asked coyly.

"I have one in mind," Horatio couldn't make eye contact or risk smiling. "Not sure if she'll say yes though."

 _O this is precious…_

"Afraid she'll say no?"

"Naturally, we haven't known each other very long...for all I know she has someone already."

 _He knows no girl is this dense right?_

"You'll never know till you ask." She started. "Plenty of boys used to ask me out…I turned them all down of course but I respect the fact they had the courage to try."

"I see…" Horatio concluded as he left them in silence within the darkness of the container.

 _I knew he wouldn't be able to do it, as soon as things get tough men just…_

"Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance?" he blurted out so fast the words ran together. He locked eyes with her, his face serious and focused.

Cinder had a genuine look of surprise on her face.

 _He was supposed to chicken out but still harbor feelings…that would have given me a chance to infiltrate the Tower during the dance but continue to learn about him. He still asked even after everything I said before?_

Cinder was still mulling over her brief lapse in playing her role back in the ruins. The plan shifted accordingly in her mind in an instant.

"Me?" she asked, sending enough heat to her cheeks to feign a blush. "Do you really feel that way about me?"

"I don't know," Horatio answered truthfully. "But I would love to have the chance to find out before you have to return to Haven." He ended with a heartfelt smile.

Cinder closed her eyes.

 _Emerald will need to take over for me during the dance…_

"I would love to," she laid her hand on his. "Provided we can make it back in time." She looked out the makeshift hole at the sea beyond. "Until then…were there any other topics you wished to talk about?"

Horatio smiled as he relaxed in the container, popping his double jointed thumbs over and over as he did when nervous. He had a million questions and was ready for the duration.

"Well…I would love to start by knowing your favorite color…"

 **Horatio and Cinder begin their voyage to the mysterious facility, their fellow teams fighting for survival…what will they find? Read and Review, but most of all enjoy. :)**


	14. Forever Fallen

**A bit of a shorter one, I hope all the fans of Grimm Eclipse have been enjoying these chapters :)**

 **The world Eclipsed by Grimm…that is the desire of some. Our heroes battle for their lives as they seek to discover the source of the mutant Grimm…**

Olivia fired another volley, bouncing aptly across the treetops, a dark shape collapsed but many more followed.

"I repeat! We are moving north towards the forest edge," she shouted over her scroll to Doctor Oobleck. "Ray keep moving!" Her silent partner sliced another in half, keeping up not far behind her.

Olivia cursed under her breath, behind her dozens of Grimm were following. They were of a primate variety, their arms unnaturally long allowing them to swing expertly from branch to branch. Each one was the size of a large child.

They had surveyed most of the forest in secret throughout the day with no success, already nightfall was approaching. The two of them had stuck to the trees to avoid the packs of Beowolves and Ursai travelling together as Olivia saw little point in splitting from a mute partner. They were about to return when they stumbled into an enormous troop of the monkey-like Grimm. There had to be at least a hundred of them.

Olivia had been missed, but they bore down on Ray like a flood, she had no choice but to give herself away with a barrage of scatter bullets to cover her escape.

Olivia had initially hoped that they would be territorial like their normal animal counterparts and break off pursuit once they left the area. Either she was mistaken or their habitat was enormous, they had been running nearly half an hour and the Grimm still pursued them.

Olivia cleared another branch, she prepared to leap again but this time she found herself stuck, unable to move. A much larger primate Grimm closer to a gorilla hung from the branch she had jumped onto, immediately grabbing her ankle, she could not move.

 _What is a Beringel doing here?_

The Grimm roared, lifting Olivia off her feet with a single pull, holding her upside down. She pulled her rifle up to aim its face but it used its free hand to grab the barrel, preventing her from targeting it. Revealing entire rows of sharp fangs it pulled her close for the kill.

Olivia was ready to kick with her free leg, but found it unnecessary…in a flash to Beringel split in half vertically, releasing her as its body fell from the tree. Her partner Ray bounded past Olivia, the remains being shaken from her sword-cane. Looking back she motioned with her head for Olivia to continue…they had no time to be idle.

"Th-thanks," Olivia muttered as she raced after her, though Ray was likely already too far to hear.

Her scroll crackled to life though the interference was still preventing a complete signal.

"Stand b….hold o…..get down…."

A dust-infused warhead rocketed past them, detonating not far away in the direction of the Grimm. The explosion flattened the tree line taking many Grimm with it.

Dozens of the remaining monsters climbed to the peak of their trees and hollered roars in their direction…until a second warhead obliterated them. The remainder scurried back to the forest floor back the way they had come.

Olivia looked up with a smile as the Bullhead lowered down to meet them. Mercury was holding a rocket launcher over his shoulder still smoking. Ezzy leaned down to pull Ray inside.

"Glad we could help," Mercury abandoned his weapon and reached to help her up.

"Are we glad to see you," Olivia welcomed as she was pulled inside by Mercury's strong arm.

 _She'd be cuter if she wasn't so gullible._

"What did you say?" Olivia asked Mercury, shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs.

"I said glad we could help; I see your search was a bust too. We found nothing but Grimm in that cave. I got rocks in my boots and everything…"

 _What was that…question for another time_. "What about the others?"

"Not sure," Ezzy explained as the Bullhead pulled to a higher altitude. "Dr. Oobleck said they lost contact with Cinder and Horatio, whatever is interfering with our scrolls they are likely near its source."

"What about Emerald and Roland?"

"Nothing on them at all," Oobleck answered for them via their scrolls. "We were getting regular reports until they reached the end of the tracks then nothing. Last transmission was about thirty minutes ago, I am diverting your Bullhead to rendezvous with their last known location."

Olivia looked out across the horizon where they were heading. She didn't like the idea of splitting up from the very beginning…not one bit.

 _Horatio…Roland….stay safe._

 **At the tracks end…**

Roland laid Emerald's unconscious body behind a tree, praying she would be safe there no matter what happened.

His left arm was broken even through his aura, there was no doubt of that, he was pretty sure they hadn't even scratched the Mutant Beowolf's skin. The fight had started off well enough…Roland holding strong while Emerald took pot shots at it…nothing even fazed it. The Grimm seemed dazed or confused at first; most of its attacks missed them completely as it hit empty air.

Then Emerald had tried to use her chain-scythe…the giant Beowolf had simply snagged it in a claw and pulled her in…it broke her aura and knocked her out cold with a single savage blow. Its strength seemed impossible. She would likely have died had he not leapt in, forced to use his unshielded arm to protect her from the follow-up swing.

"Over here ugly!" he shouted, diving away from her body, drawing its attention, trying to ignore the blinding pain in his useless arm. In her unconscious state it should be harder for the Grimm to sense her the further away they got.

The Grimm rushed his position again, claws flailing wildly now surprisingly accurate compared to before. It seemed to be in a frenzy as its attacks were random with no discernible strategy behind them.

 _Well I needed to test this eventually…_

Roland clicked a switch within his shield; once again it split up the middle but just to the halfway point. The bottom half unfolded outward like a pair of bladed wings, he still had a shield in the center though much smaller. The unfolded wings once rotated sideways transformed his weapon into a large dual-sided warglaive.

The Anomaly Beowolf swung, striking the shield with a powerful claw. Roland jumped back and slashed upward, slicing a gash across the Grimm's open palm. The Beowolf roared in pain, the first wound they had given it the whole fight.

Taking the initiative Roland slid between its legs, slashing at its inner thighs as he emerged on the other side. Jumping high he spun and buried one of the bladed wings deep into the Grimm's back.

The Grimm abomination roared in pain as its green blood burst forth; spinning around it rammed its back into the nearby rock face, crushing Roland between them. The remainder of his aura shattered as he slumped to the ground, his weapon still embedded in the monsters back.

"I'm…not…down yet," he gasped, spitting up some blood from the last hit. He staggered to his feet, balling his right hand into a fist in a stance he had seen Horatio perform many times. His entire body was burning; likely a rib or two was broken now too. His vision was starting to blur.

The Beowolf charged, claws clearly aiming straight for his throat.

"I'm sorry Yang," Roland whispered, gritting his teeth for the attack.

A howl of pain echoed through the air as the Beowolf stumbled back, green blood gushing out of the stump that had once been its right arm.

Roland had blinked and missed it…one moment the monster was rampaging his way, the next it fell back short one arm. He glanced to his right.

An intimidating figure stood beside him having appeared from seemingly nowhere, they were arrayed in thick red armor protecting their shoulders and arms with a short black dress beneath whose snugness betrayed the fact it was a woman. A red sash was wrapped around her waist and black leggings covered all but the top portion of her thighs. She wore a large white four-eyed Grimm mask hiding the entirety of her face but open in the back allowing her hair to flow free.

"Yang?" he asked in a daze as indeed he had seen no one else with such magnificently long hair.

But while Yang's was gold like the morning sun, this woman's was jet black like the moonless night.

 _Huh...that was oddly poetic for me...I MUST be delirious..._

His savior shook the green blood from her sword, clearly a dust weapon, her sheath a revolving chamber of various dust types she could infuse into the blade. Her first choice had been fire; it appeared she had cleaved its arm off in a single swing.

"So that's what she sees in you?" The warrior muttered under her breath as she seemed to fly towards the Grimm still recovering from its lost appendage.

She did not give it a single moment to react, barely having time to look up from its howls of pain the Grimm's head was cleaved from its shoulders with a second swing along with a good chunk of the green crystals upon its back. The headless corpse crumpled to the ground, slowly beginning to disintegrate as Grimm did when slain.

Roland slumped to his knees in awe of what had just happened. This thing that had torn him and Emerald to pieces in no time had been taken out with two sword swings…one would have been sufficient had the first not been to save his life.

"Thank…you," he forced out as he wobbled, his balance unsteady.

"That's your one," the warrior informed him, her voice was cold and uncaring but focused. "Do try to be stronger…for her if not for yourself. And know that if you do anything to hurt her…I will be back for you."

"Duly…noted," was the last thing Roland could cough out before he collapsed backwards, the sounds of a Bullhead's engines overhead lulling him to sleep.

 **Beneath Mountain Glenn….**

"O dear…that is a bomb," Professor Peach worriedly informed them.

"What?" Jaune's voice cracked with an exasperated shout. "Why would there be a bomb down here?"

After the Beowolf packs had moved on the team continued to follow the strange Creeper, their path leading along an old track system no doubt linked to the one in Forever Fall. They had managed to get an old loading door open to be greeted by a cart sitting on the tracks atop which was apparently situated a bomb.

"I-I don't know!" she replied, her voice a mixture of composure and worry. "No one should have been down here for years. Based on its design it is very powerful and VERY unstable…tampering with it in any way can potentially activate it."

"Then we ignore it," Jaune advised. An exit from the tunnel system was up ahead past the tracks. "We just walk around it and…"

The moment Jaune took a step towards the bomb a readout sprung to life, registering a six minute countdown timer.

Team JNPR screamed in unison upon seeing the lights.

"Don't panic!" Professor Peach shouted over their scrolls, clearly panicking herself. "The maps we have of that area show an underground lake not far ahead. The tracks run over it. If you can push the cart just a few hundred feet you can drop it into the water to muffle the blast."

Team JNPR rushed up to the cart, with a collective heave they started pushing it along the track. The railways were old and rusted but the cart was heavy enough to push through, they were making progress. The cart seemed to be powered by dust…but most of the refining stations around them were empty…they'd never find enough to power it the distance in under six minutes.

"Grimm!" Ren shouted. Whether they were attracted by Team JNPR's worry or previous scream did not matter. Grimm of all shapes and sizes started crawling into the chamber from every tunnel system around. There had to be dozens.

"Ren, Pyrrha, give us cover," Jaune ordered, his plan already formed in his head. "Nora I'll need your muscle."

Ren and Pyrrha released their hold on the cart, turning to the closest Grimm. Ren unloaded his twin pistols, picking off as many as he could before roundhouse kicking another into a wall. Pyrrha went after the larger Grimm, leaping onto the head of the nearest Ursa she impaled it through the eye before jumping on top of and flattening a nearby Beowolf. The two fought furiously through the Grimm waves.

Jaune and Nora continued pushing the cart, picking up the pace as best they could, neither could stand leaving the fighting to the others.

 _We're too slow,_ Jaune thought; they were barely halfway there and already down to under four minutes left on the clock.

"Keep pushing," Jaune ordered Nora as he ran back the way they had come, heading about twenty feet from the cart. "Pyrrha…shield!"

Pyrrha pulled her javelin from another Beowolf, immediately realizing his plan. Jaune held his shield up aimed directly at the cart. Getting a running start Pyrrha charged at his shield and leapt directly into it, pushing off with all her might.

She flew towards the cart, twisting her body in mid-air so that she went in feet first. Nora barely noticed the plan in time to dive out of the way. Pyrrha slammed into it at full speed, propelling it down the track far faster than they were going to the point they had to start sprinting after it to keep up. They worried it may fall of the tracks though the wheels held strong.

"Nora nail it!" he shouted as the cart began to slow once more. Two minutes remained.

Nora ran up, transforming her weapon back into a hammer. Winding up as best she could she swung, striking the cart in the back, sending it flying down the path once more.

Up ahead they could see the end of the tracks, Jaune's heart lifted as he saw the end was destroyed and broken. All they would have to do is get the cart there and it would simply drop into the underground river below. It was going to be close.

"Here!" Ren shouted, throwing a chunk of dust crystals he had located in the chaos fighting Grimm, possibly the last ones left behind.

Without hesitation Jaune dropped the crystals into an open slot beneath the cart, the effect was almost instant. With a sudden burst of speed the bomb sped down the tracks, assured to reach the end with time to spare.

"RUN!" Jaune shouted, signaling the others to break away from the seemingly unending flood of Grimm.

Team JNPR sprinted for the trail leading further up, Pyrrha turning at the last moment to see the cart sail serenely into the pit, disappearing into the dark. Moments later an enormous plume of fire and water burst up from the chasm, lighting up the chamber with a deafening boom as the shockwave reached their ears.

The team could not rest, ahead of them towards the tunnel exit was none other than the strange Creeper Ren had reported seeing. It was indeed surrounded by a strange green cloud that seemed to be produced from within its own body. There were openings on its back that were expelling the putrid miasma.

"I got it," Pyrrha announced, dashing ahead of the team and burying her javelin squarely in its head.

As she removed her weapon from the Creeper its body started to inflate, the miasma spreading outward at an increased rate.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune screamed, his voice awash with fear, realizing what was happening. In a flash he rushed between them, propping his shield between her and the expanding Grimm.

The mutated Creeper exploded with incredible force impacting Jaune's shield and sending the young man flying into the red-headed warrior behind him who had been protected from the blast.

"Jaune!" She cradled his unconscious form as he slumped into her arms.

The explosion seemed to scare off the remaining Grimm as they scurried back into their tunnels focused now on survival rather than seeking a meal.

"Team!" Professor Peach returned to the scroll channel. "Are you alright? Come in please!"

"We are clear of the bomb," Ren replied, Pyrhha was still looking over Jaune's body. "We ran into…an anomalous Grimm and Jaune is down." His eyes fell on Jaune's shield actually smoking from the blast that had struck it point blank. "We need IMMEDIATE pick-up."

"An airship is on the way. Do get on board quickly, the other Bullhead has wounded from the other teams as well and will be returning with us post-haste for medical attention."

"More wounded?" Pyrrha asked, snapping out of her daze. "What happened?"

 **The Island of Doctor Merlot….Friday Night**

The last of the androids guarding the boat fell to the ground with its head smashed inward. Behind him a line of similarly destroyed automatons littered the deck, their bodies either smashed in or blasted to pieces by dust arrows.

"See, not so bad in controlled numbers once you get used to them," Cinder remarked. She was busy replenishing her arrow stock using crates of dust they had found aboard the ship. Focusing carefully she could manipulate the dust into the desired shape.

Night had nearly fallen by the time the ship had stopped moving. The two had passed the time exchanging information about themselves. Horatio revealed his love for prune juice, any food involving meat, his favorite color being steel blue like his overcoat. Cinder has acquiesced and opened up during the trip, unsurprisingly her favorite color was the same deep red as the dress she wore for the portrait. She admitted to being a fan of various types of wine despite her age and that her favorite season was fall, the same as Horatio for he loved the cool temperatures. He had made sure to stay away from the topic of family or anything overly philosophical after the somber mood it had elicited in the ruins.

The boat ride had seemed far shorter than Horatio would have liked, once they were sure the ship was not setting off again they had emerged from their hiding place and disabled every android they could find.

"Definitely the right place," Horatio thought out loud.

They had arrived at an island not found on any maps. There was another small dock similar to the one on the mainland. Far in the distance they could spot a tall communications tower looming over the area. "I'd bet a fancy dinner that's what is causing the interference. Even if it is not we can try to use it to boost our signal."

"Then that's our next stop," Cinder ripped one her blades from the chest of an android she had skewered then left until after she had resupplied. "The path leading to it is obvious enough."

Wasting no time the two hunters leapt overboard, ducking into the shadow of the nearest cliff face as there were sure to be more androids. Taking Ruby's advice from initiation Horatio advised they utilize stealth as best they could…there was no point to fighting everything that moved.

"I knew Merlot Industries was widespread," Horatio mused to Cinder. "But to think they had facilities this far out decades after they were officially disbanded..."

"They're survivors," Cinder replied, ever watchful for a potential attack. "We must find out what they were working on."

"We should probably find a place to hunker down for the night first." The temperature was dropping quickly and was oddly cold for how close they were to the normally temperate Forever Fall.

There was something wrong with this island other than the abnormal weather. There were no animals or insects they could see other than roaming packs of Grimm in every shape and size. No doubt these were the ones being shipped from Forever Fall and the Emerald Forest. They were segregated into separate parts of the island as far as they could tell and were left free to wander. The areas the Grimm could not enter were barren and dead, a rust-colored rocky terrain with little to no sign of vegetation.

Neither of them had brought warmer gear due to the expected short nature of their mission. Sleeping on the ship was too risky in case it set sail again in the night and there were sure to be more androids investigating the ones they disabled aboard by now. "We can make for the tower at first light." It was clearly too far to walk in freezing temperatures.

"Excellent suggestion."

Fortunately for them there were plenty of small caves dug into the various cliff sides. Most were filled with Grimm containers; however it did not take long to find one unoccupied save for some boxes of computer equipment. Working their way to the far back Cinder ignited another arrow, producing a bit of heat but not enough with the dropping temperatures. They dared not light a full fire for fear they would be spotted.

Horatio leaned against the wall sitting across from Cinder, arms wrapped around his waist for warmth. He had already given her his overcoat once again as her attire was far more exposed to the elements than his own. She was wearing the same leather vest and gear she had during their initial match. Even without the steel-blue overcoat Horatio still had his thick banded black pants, long white undershirt and combat vest.

 _Still protecting my maidenly innocence?_ Cinder chuckled as she shivered; it was simple enough to keep her temperature up when needed. Now was not one of them.

"You don't need to sit over there," she smiled, brushing a bit of hair out of her eyes. "Strictly speaking body heat is the most effective way to stay warm."

Horatio's face lit up red, how that was not producing enough heat for him was bewildering Cinder. He had attended the survival courses of Professor Port…he knew she was right.

"I…I couldn't ask you to…" he stuttered only partially due to the cold. He could challenge an entire horde of Grimm with a smile on his face or leap into a burning building without hesitation…yet a beautiful woman he cared for asking to share his body heat was apparently too much.

"You could," she invited, standing up to take the initiative. "It won't help either of us to freeze tonight."

With a smile Cinder sauntered over to him, taking a seat and leaning against his left arm she laid her head on his chest and snuggled close, wrapping his coat around both of them. She could feel his heartbeat quicken as she wrapped her arms around him, no doubt he had already caught the scent of her hair. Subtly she increased her body temperature, more than enough for them both.

 _So he's not immune to the cold._ She took a mental note, adding it to what she had observed. _Too unpredictable, fighting him when he gets weaker would only serve to warm him up…abandoning him to the elements is risky as I couldn't guarantee his death and may need him for whatever else is on this island._

Cinder felt Horatio's arm hesitantly wrap around her, pulling her closer. She noted he made sure to keep his hands in appropriate locations.

"Much better," she whispered as they huddled closer, the two sitting together in the cave. Heat would no longer be a problem; her abilities would make sure of it.

"I'll protect you," Horatio muttered under his breath as he held her close. "No matter what we find on this island…I...I won't let anything harm you."

"I am no fragile maiden, I can take care of myself," Cinder cooed back. "Though the sentiment is…appreciated, who knows, I may end up saving you."

The two sat there like that, drifting off to sleep in the dim light of the dust arrow shimmering before them.

 _Very much appreciated…my dear knight._ Cinder thought, barely realizing how comfortable and at peace she felt in his arms…it was a new feeling for her.

 **The first night passes on the strange island…separated from Beacon and their allies will Horatio and Cinder survive to uncover the forces at work? Read and Review…but most of all enjoy! :)**


	15. The Island of Doctor Merlot

**Horatio and Cinder explore the strange island, their friends working to support them as best they can.**

 **Beacon Academy Airship docks…Friday Night**

They had a full medical detail ready by the time the Bullheads landed. With blessed efficiency they had Roland and Jaune on gurneys heading inside the building. Emerald was being taken inside as well, albeit from a wheelchair as she had regained consciousness on the trip back and claimed she was fine.

Professor Ozpin, Port and Dr. Oobleck were there to greet them. Professor Peach had already gone inside to watch over the wounded students. Pyrrha and Mercury wanted to follow but the Professor insisted they go over what they had found.

"The last solid transmission we received from Ms. Fall and Mr. Soplar was here," Professor Port brought up a holographic representation of Forever Fall once they had reached a makeshift conference room. "When they advised spotting a Merlot Industry vessel sailing along the coast. "Not long after, we were notified that a tracking bug had been activated in the same approximate location. However, it soon cut out due to the interference. We received a transmission from one of them here, but it was so garbled we couldn't make out any words."

This time the dot moved further…into the sea.

"You don't think they…?" Olivia started, worry bubbling in her voice.

"No they did not drown," Ozpin stepped in. "I doubt we would have received any part of the message had it been transmitting from underwater. More likely they were aboard the Merlot Industries vessel he reported seeing before we lost contact."

"Once the Bullhead is refueled we can head back out," Olivia got to her feet. "We can search the entire…"

"Please Ms. Ramus," Ozpin turned to her, his voice as gentle as ever. "It will not do to run ragged searching the entire sea along Forever Fall for them. For now please rest and regain your strength. We will set out again in the morning."

"But what about Horatio…and Cinder?"

"We WILL find them," Ozpin's gaze became more serious than she'd ever seen. "If we are fortunate Mr. Soplar and Ms. Fall will find a way of drawing attention to themselves. At first light any who wish to accompany you may board the Bullhead to continue the search. With the fog that has settled tonight visibility over the open water would be almost nonexistent."

Olivia clenched her fists, she wanted to just head out on her own and search until she collapsed…..

 _You don't need them…you can go out now and…_

The image of an exhausted Blake passed through her mind, how she had looked before they had left the previous day. She allowed herself to relax, breathing deeply, silencing the voice in her head.

"I'll need to let Yang know about Roland…if he is so seriously injured."

"Let her sleep, it is quite late and she has been working very hard with Ms. Schnee all day," Ozpin reassured. "I will inform her first thing in the morning once you have departed. We have beds prepared for everyone here…please rest."

Olivia nodded as Esmerelda tapped her on the shoulder, she was equally worried, but for the moment all they could do was wait…and hope.

 **Merlot Island…Saturday morning**

The sun had fully risen in the sky by the time they reached the strange tower, fortunately android numbers had been thinner the deeper they got inside the island…perhaps they never imagined intruders would get this far? From the tower they could see a larger facility further towards the center of the island.

Cinder picked off a pair of white androids patrolling the second floor of a set of rafters where they spotted a control console. This variation was armed with grenade launchers though they had been fortunate to pick them off before they could open fire. She and Horatio looked over its settings for an off switch.

"I wish we had Olivia here." Horatio muttered as he looked the console over. "This technology looks similar to Atlas, she's a big fan."

"She's not the only one," Cinder motioned Horatio to step aside as she started pressing a series of buttons. After several seconds the console powered down, the shining light atop the tower dimming into darkness.

"Dr. Oobleck," Horatio immediately pulled out his scroll. "Doctor, can you hear me?"

"Ah that's much better."

Horatio and Cinder locked eyes on the scroll simultaneously; the voice was not Dr. Oobleck.

"Who…is this?" Horatio pulled the scroll closer to his face.

"Oh, where are my manners," the voice continued, sounding incredibly smug and superior. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Merlot. You may not know me, but I certainly know you…"

"Dr. Merlot…founder and head of Merlot Industries," Horatio interrupted if only to wipe the smug grin he could tell the disembodied voice had off his face. Dr. Merlot was mentioned in many textbooks on the evolution of technology. "Often hailed as a genius in the field of Artificial Intelligence and biotechnology, though not considered much of a people person by the general public. You were presumed lost with your entire staff when Mountain Glenn fell to the overwhelming Grimm population."

 _He likes messing with his opponents if he feels they deserve it…I think I'm actually starting to like this man._

Horatio did not catch Cinder smiling out of the corner of his eye.

"Ah…a learned man of history…no matter," Merlot continued. "Nevertheless I am thrilled you are here, you are exactly what I need for a very important…experiment."

"I'm not a fan of being a guinea pig," Cinder chimed in. Her look was so terrifying Horatio feared his scroll may burst into flames at any moment.

"I believe the guinea pigs say the same," Dr. Merlot chuckled. "Please…come this way…I insist."

As the scroll cut out a high fence blocking the way ahead lowered, allowing access further into the island…towards the main facility looming in the distance.

Before Horatio and Cinder could contemplate what to do next they heard the unmistakable sound of marching feet. From the way they had come dozens of androids were moving over the hill, making a bee-line right for the tower.

 _Ah…so that's where all the androids were…_

"Move forward, follow the pipeline!" Cinder shouted, starting to run towards the open fence away from the approaching army.

Horatio did not need told twice, he quickly caught up with her, following a path of gates and doors opening ahead of them to allow entrance. They ran past a dozen smaller warehouses and other houses…the operation hidden on this island was enormous. Horatio guessed it must have taken years to build. Anytime they attempted to deviate from the path a gate would slam shut or additional androids would cut them off.

 _He is herding us…like we're more of his pet Grimm…._

Horatio and Cinder continued to follow his course for some time, occasionally stopping to face a team of androids however always needing to withdraw before their reinforcements arrived. A powerful scent assailed their noses as they got closer to the main facility, the pipes they were following were getting larger and more prevalent but so was the overall unnatural aura of the island. The land was turning a putrid dark green, even the rust colored rocky wasteland had turned to black the closer they got, pools filled with a strange liquid dotted the landscape now, the android force behind them either stopped pursuing or fell behind.

Cinder and Horatio ducked behind a large power station using the darkness to survey the area. Unrecognized buildings and other stations were so close together now they had plenty of choices.

The area they found themselves in was clearly a refinery of some sort; Horatio would have guessed the pipes were filled with the strange green substance they had been seeing. It seemed to be coming out of the very ground…was it natural to just this island?

With a hand sign he motioned Cinder to continue towards the facility slowly, ensuring they were avoiding the glowing pools. The smell was becoming unbearable, with a quick motion he tore off his shirt sleeves and offered one to Cinder. With them they created makeshift masks to make breathing a little easier.

"He…he wants us here," Cinder huffed, finally catching her breath.

"But why?"

 _"_ Students!" Horatio and Cinder's scrolls lit up with Professor Ozpin's voice. "We hear you, the signal seems to be getting clearer from whatever you did but we cannot pinpoint your exact location yet. Are you alright?"

Horatio fumbled with his scroll before any interference would have a chance to rear its ugly head.

"It is good to hear your voice sir," he shouted just in case reception would fail. "We are ok for the moment, we are currently on an island due north of Forever Fall, exact coordinates unknown."

"I am sending information from the time it took to arrive and estimated speed of the ship we were on board," Cinder interrupted. She was fully aware Ozpin and Merlot were not the only ones monitoring the channel.

"Well done Ms. Fall, we are searching for you so do not give up. We have several Bullheads in the air as we speak."

"I can hear everything you are saying you know…if you value those students' lives I would suggest staying out of range of my island's…countermeasures." Dr. Merlot interrupted.

 _Countermeasures?_ Horatio did not like the sound of that.

"Hello Doctor," Ozpin replied, his voice suddenly flat and uncaring.

"Ozpin…or should I call you Oz? Like old times chum."

"I thought you perished in the Mountain Glenn disaster…a tragedy you played no small part in…"

"What…did he do in Mountain Glenn?" Horatio asked, uncertain he wished to know the answer.

"Twas a mere speedbump on the super highway of scientific progress. I needed more specimens…so I may have…encouraged Grimm to enter the city. You couldn't possibly imagine the ramifications of my latest research."

"You encouraged Grimm? How, and what research would that be?" Cinder had activated her own scroll to ask.

"Ah, a man of history and a woman of science on my island, how serendipitous. I have been working to improve the Grimm species…I have yet to fully control them but I have my ways of getting them to go where I want. They are vastly superior to humans with their non-sentient nature and unbridled ferocity. My serum assures their absolute dominance…all I need are those skilled in combat such as you to test their…attributes."

 _A serum?_

"It is amazing you survived the Mountain Glenn disaster," Ozpin continued, clearly unwilling to stroke Merlot's ego in regards to his achievements. "Was it sheer luck or all part of your master plan?"

"Admittedly, Mountain Glenn is a bit of a sore spot for me. Decades of hard work…countless research projects, not to mention all of the specimens I had collected over the years…all gone without a trace."

"Thousands of people died!" Horatio fumed, he had enough of this man. "An entire city…dead! And all you care about is your research?"

"Real progress requires sacrifice boy," Merlot snapped. "Were it not for my research over the years Remnant would still be in the dark ages!"

"No…only expedited progress may require that," Horatio started, ignoring the looks Cinder was giving him or the fact Ozpin was still on the channel. "Lives are not worth accelerating a time table!"

"Well-spoken Mr. Soplar," Ozpin announced proudly. "I want you and Ms. Fall to continue exploring that facility…we are still searching but try and find any way you can to let us know your exact location.

"Roger that Professor."

"You call me reckless…yet send these young prodigies on such dangerous excursions like this."

"They are more than a match for your mindless robots."

"But of course," Merlot replied. "I am nothing but a gracious host…you are not far from the facility entrance, come inside. I'll be waiting."

"Your teams are aboard the Bullheads. Once we locate the island the cavalry will arrive to extract you…until then I bid you both good luck and godspeed."

 **Beacon Medical Facility…**

Team RWBY pushed their way past the main doors, having heard what happened during the other team's excursions, Yang was leading the way.

"They are this way," Ms. Goodwitch motioned towards a recovery wing.

Bursting through the curtains they immediately saw Pyrrha slumped into a chair near Jaune's bedside. He was still unconscious as he had been since the attack, Pyrrha never leaving his side had only recently drifted to sleep. Ren and Nora boarded the Bullhead to represent Team JNPR in the search for Horatio and Cinder. Olivia and Esmerelda had led the charge the moment the sun peaked over the Horizon with Ray accompanying them.

Emerald was sitting up in her bed, bandages over her head and arms. Mercury sat by her side and was trying to feed her a few spoonfuls of soup. Based on her reactions she was fully capable of feeding herself and he was merely teasing her.

Roland's bed was located next to hers, like Jaune he was still unconscious. However his left arm was in a thick cast, he had a respirator assisting with breathing while his aura worked to mend his broken ribs. He was shirtless, revealing a large horizontal old scar from shoulder to hip. Despite school gossip Yang had never seen him without a shirt before. Where could he have gotten such an ugly scar?

"He is stable and healing faster than anticipated. He should be up and about and his ribs healed before days end. His arm was badly shattered and will take a few days longer even at this rate."

"Thank you Ms. Goodwitch," Weiss bowed politely in gratitude with a smile as the teacher went off to check on Jaune, carefully stepping around Pyrrha so as not to wake her.

"See…he'll be fine!" Ruby raised her arms in a cheer.

"Of course he will be," Weiss reassured in her usual tone. "He fights with Yang every day…he is quite durable."

Yang looked over Roland's unconscious form, her hands balling into fists. "I am…giving him SUCH an earful for letting a Grimm do this to him after all our training…"

"You will have to get in line."

The team turned around, Arslan of Team ABRN was standing beside Roland's bed, it appeared she had already been there and only briefly stepped away.

"How did you…"

"Ms. Goodwitch sent me a message; she knows we studied together at our combat academy. Emerald already told me the whole story; apparently they tangled with an especially large mutation of Grimm. The last thing she remembers is Roland taking a blow for her."

"We'll leave you three alone," Blake whispered, starting to push the other two towards Emerald to visit despite Ruby's protests. From the looks of it Emerald was on the verge of murdering Mercury unless someone drew her fire.

"Take your time," Weiss laid a hand on her shoulder. "I can finish the dance preparations…you can have your fog machine."

With that final word the three took their leave, rushing to pull Emerald off Mercury.

"So," Yang started as she took a seat near the bed next to Arslan. "He's been doing this for a while?"

"You mean biting off more than he can chew? Yea, but he always bounces back."

"Can he…use his semblance to heal himself?"

Arslan looked at Yang, smiling slightly. "He told you about that? Impressive, took nearly two years before he shared that information with me."

"Well…I know he can heal physical injuries…but so far he's only used it on others…said it tires him out to use it too much."

Arslan nodded, understanding the extent of Yang's knowledge...her eye lingering on Roland's old scar a brief moment. "No…his semblance only works on others, though he does seem to heal faster than most…but not by much."

"Were you two…?" Yang started to ask.

"Sparring partners," Arslan assured her. "Just sparring partners."

"A spar shounds lovely," Roland groaned through the respirator, causing both of them to jump a foot at his unexpected awakening. "I'd even be willing to face you both at the same time as a handicap."

"How…do you feel?" Yang asked, standing up and leaning close.

"Noth bad," he smiled, slurring his words. "Docss gave me somethig…can't feel the Bullhead that hit me."

"It was a Beowolf," Arslan corrected him.

Roland started to chuckle as best he could. "Silly Arslan, Beowolveshs can't fly Bullheads."

Arslan cracked a smile as Yang started laughing; even when out of it he never stopped trying.

"Shtill, you didn't have to dye your hair black," Roland groaned, looking at Yang. "I had no idea you were so good with a sshword."

Yang's eyes widened.

"Did they say how he defeated the Grimm?"

"No, just that it was already dead by the time they landed. It was assumed he managed to kill it before losing consciousness. His weapon was still buried in its back."

"Can…I talk to him alone please?"

Arslan was confused but nodded, stepping away to an appropriate distance with the others.

"You…saw me with black hair and a sword?" Yang asked, lowering her voice and leaning closer.

"Yea," he serenely answered with a yawn. "Not as good as the original though."

 _Why would she...?_

Yang took a seat again beside him, gently turning his head to face her. "Please…tell me everything."

 **Across the Room…**

Glynda Goodwitch lowered her voice as Ozpin contacted her, she did not want the students to hear.

"So it's him?"

"The one and only," Ozpin sighed audibly over the scroll. "He mentioned countermeasures and I fear the facility will be heavily defended…I may need to call in reinforcements from Vale. Bullheads are not known for their frontline warzone capabilities."

Glynda massaged the bridge of her nose; if they had to call in military aid it would cause quite the incident and possibly delay the Vytal Festival…the very thing they sought to prevent by handling it with their own teams.

"I may be able to avoid that," she sighed as a plan entered her head. "Have the Bullheads continue the search."

"Thank you Ms. Goodwitch, I knew I could count on you."

Glynda ended the transmission, punching in a new number.

The scroll buzzed several times before finally being answered, she started to speak without waiting for a greeting.

"Hello, I know this is short notice…but I need a favor."

"Anything," was the only response.

 **Merlot Island….Saturday Afternoon.**

Horatio and Cinder had continued their trek across the bleak landscape, Dr. Merlot had not been joking when he said he was near the main facility entrance. Shortly after setting off from the Refinery they had found a massive door so large a group of Atlas Paladin Suits could have walked in side by side.

"This door I do not mind knocking down," Horatio gritted his teeth, winding up and punching with all his might.

The door dented but did not break.

Horatio rubbed his hands together, stomping his feet as if to work himself up he swung again. The door dented further than before but still held.

"Now now, there is no need for that," Merlot chided over an intercom, no longer requiring use of their scrolls. "I would be more than happy to let you in…but you must first pay the entrance fee…"

Before they could ask what he meant the containers around them started beeping, a countdown having been started. In an instant every one of the shipping containers around them sprung open, Grimm poured out of them with no other prey nearby save Cinder and Horatio.

They were clearly Grimm…but strange somehow. Many of them had a billowing green miasma about them while others had crystals in the same color growing from their bodies. The added accessories did not appear pleasant as the Grimm clawed or scratched at themselves as if in pain.

"Be careful!" Ozpin warned, able to see the situation through the scroll. "Those are mutations your teams encountered in Mountain Glenn and Forever Fall. The green smoke is highly volatile and will detonate quite easily. The ones with green crystals have immense strength, enough to shatter auras in a single direct hit."

Horatio did not have time to respond, immediately adding the new information to the ideas swirling in his mind.

"Cinder, can you pick off the volatile ones from a safe distance? I call dibs on the jumbos."

Cinder only answered with a nod, immediately firing an arrow into a pack of them setting of an immense detonation. Reaching out her hand she manipulated the residual dust particles in the air to billow into another group with equally explosive effect.

Horatio charged the first of the Mutant Beowolves slashing its claws straight for him. Horatio bounded over it, part of the crystals grazing his leg. Kicking off the immense Grimm's back he soared into the air to deliver a powerful blow as he dropped on top of it using his own strength coupled with the pull of gravity. The Grimm stirred in the crater they had made but did not get up again.

The final two Mutants rushed him uncaring at the fate of the first; Cinder continued unloading arrows into the creepers with pinpoint accuracy. Not a single shot was wasted.

"Hmmm, definitely a poorer batch of serum," they could hear Merlot muse over the intercom. "One of my beauties bested in a single attack…Inconceivable."

Horatio grappled with the first of the two Grimm, barely holding it at bay. Fighting head on these things were quite formidable. Dragging it in he performed a powerful uppercut before spinning to backhand the Grimm sending it crashing to the ground.

Turning to Cinder he realized he had lost track of the second mutant. It was already far past him heading straight for her.

 _I won't make it in time!_

Sprinting madly towards it he raced to reach them before it made it to Cinder…but he was just too far away. The Grimm roared, swinging its claws straight for Cinders head.

Horatio caught a smirk as Cinder leapt over its claw, performing a high kick straight into the mutants face so hard that teeth shattered. The creature stumbled from the pain.

In an instant her bow was split back into its twin-blade form, flipping them upside down she buried both into the top of the Grimm's head with such force it slammed into the ground, the blades pushing through and burying themselves in the rock beneath it.

 _She's amazing,_ Horatio thought, completely certain his jaw must be on the floor by now.

Pulling her blades from the Grimm Cinder looked in his direction; pulling back she aimed right for him and threw one of the blades.

"What are you do…?" Horatio started to ask as the blade whipped past his head, missing him by the closest of margins.

The blade buried itself in the skull of the first Mutant Beowolf that had recovered from Horatio's beating and was moving to attack. With a final groan it wheezed and toppled over, quite dead.

"Very impressive," Merlot addressed them again with a slow clap. "Do you believe in destiny? That things happen for a reason Oz? I mean your little prodigies practically washed ashore here on my island…maybe they can be of use to me after all. Welcome to Merlot Industries young ones."

"We are here for a reason Merlot," Horatio announced despite no reply. "To shut you down for good."

The massive hangar doors groaned as they unlocked, sliding open to reveal the inside of the primary facility, a massive light nearly blinding them.

Horatio turned to Cinder but did not need to say a single word. She nodded, having retrieved her second blade the Huntsman and Huntress stepped inside into the uncertain path.

 **Horatio and Cinder enter the final stretch into the Merlot Facility…what will they find inside? The Grimm Eclipse concludes next time… Read and Review, but most of all enjoy. :)**


	16. Trial by Fire

**Horatio and Cinder are led to Merlot's grand Specimen…the cavalry rides to their aid. A big thank you to everyone following and enjoying this story :)**

 **Merlot's Facility…Saturday Afternoon.**

Cinder slumped to a single knee, breathing heavily. They had dispatched another platoon of androids comprising of both the red and white models.

 _They just keep coming again and again,_ she groaned. If she could just access her powers they would be child's play…but with Horatio nearby that plan was out. She had started using bits of it by disguising the flames as explosions from her arrows.

Dr. Merlot appeared on another of the video screens scattered throughout the corridor, his smug superior smile still ever present.

"Here at Merlot Industries we take pride in innovation. Together, with your help…and a little of your special spark, we will build a better tomorrow!"

He sounded like he was giving a promotional commercial.

"I'd pay real lien if he'd shut up," Horatio groaned, Merlot had been goading them the entire way clearly still controlling the paths they took. "Are you ok?"

"Tired…but otherwise fine," Cinder replied.

"Now now," Merlot chided. "No dilly dallying, like all scientific progress you must keep moving forward. A wall nearby opened up, revealing a hidden elevator, the third one they had been 'encouraged' to use.

Cinder was exhausted, yet Horatio still stood strong. _His semblance must not only improve his strength and durability but also restore lost stamina._ It was the only reason Cinder could come up with how he was still standing with barely even seeming winded.

"Do you need to rest?" Horatio asked. He looked quite concerned as they knew the procedure by now. If the two did not enter the elevator within a few moments Merlot would send a small army to their location…and another…and another until they finally got in. "I can hold off a few waves while you take a breather."

"NO," Cinder snapped sternly, grabbing his arm to pull herself back to her feet. "We keep moving."

 _I am not weak…certainly not in front of you._

The two entered the chamber, the door instantly slamming behind them as it started to move, its next location already selected. The facility was quite large, even at the speed they were going they had a little time to rest en route.

"He's just using us to test his tin men and 'specimen' Grimm," Horatio vented, kicking the wall of the elevator.

"Team," Ozpin's voice cracked over their scroll, the interference had not returned since they deactivated the tower. "I want to help but in order to do that I will need a layout of the lab. Keep your eyes peeled for any maps, schematics or better yet, any access terminals that would allow us to tap into Merlot's network."

"If we can Professor," Horatio answered again, the frustration evident in his voice. "Merlot has us running a gauntlet of his androids and Grimm…not much time for anything but fighting."

"I am sorry," Ozpin replied back, his voice remorseful. "Our Bullheads and reinforcements are still scouring the sea but we have not located the island yet."

The elevator came to a sudden halt as the door flung open, the new room was enormous compared to the cramped hallways they had grown accustomed to. If Cinder had to guess, the area had once been a lake bed though now was completely dried up save for a few scattered canals that were little more than trickles. The center of the room held a massive silo with pipes protruding from it in all directions each leading to a transparent glass vat filled with a bio-luminescent blue liquid. It gave the same eerie glow as the green sludge Merlot was refining outside.

"Here before you are the stage two processing tanks," Merlot announced proudly, still giving his twisted grand tour. "A marvelous refinement of the substance I discovered on this island first in this very spot. Not even a gallon of this precious substance once exposed to the air could attract a horde of Grimm from miles away!"

"A Grimm Bait? Is this what you used to lure them to Mountain Glenn?"

"Well guessed young man," Merlot sneered on the huge screens, Merlot must love his ego to have them in every room. "I do hope you and your lovely friend appreciate the on-site demonstration I prepared for you."

On queue the elevator door slammed shut behind them as hordes of Creepers unburrowed themselves from the floor, each one shuffling towards the vats and filling the room.

Cinder and Horatio stared at the growing horde. They were most interested in the glass tanks but it would not be long before the Creeper's swarmed their location, every single one appeared to be the volatile green mutations.

"How many arrows do you have left?"

"Four."

Horatio peeked out to recount. "Ok, seven containers with that sludge…it'll be suicide for us to charge that many of those exploding Creepers head on."

"If those vats are what are attracting the Grimm perhaps they will leave if we destroy them. Or they will stay attracted to our negative emotions," Cinder added pessimistically. "We are the only ones here after all."

"Just need happy thoughts," Horatio chuckled, trying to keep her spirits up. "What is your happiest memory?"

Cinder stared at him, her mind searching for the answer. _Besting Amber and gaining half of the power that was rightfully hers? Recruiting Emerald? Infiltrating Beacon?_ All were certainly fulfilling, though she wasn't sure necessarily happy. Not that she could tell him any to begin with.

A flash of Team CRMS' portrait passed before her mind, the serene smile he had drawn on her she'd never worn…

"I have a few options to choose from, you'd best have some lined up."

"Too easy," Horatio smirked as he did when trying to show off. "Foremost is how even more beautiful you will look at the dance tomorrow night."

Cinder had no words, perhaps it was her exhaustion mixed with frustration at their situation but she just stared slack jawed.

"Now is…hardly the time," she stuttered, genuinely flustered. "I can pick off a few tanks from here."

"Let me go first," Horatio insisted. "Call me a broken record but I can attract their attention and take out a few in close quarters. With luck it will take longer for them to spot you sniping them from here."

"You don't have to coddle me," Cinder snapped at him again. She could not stand being treated this way. "I am no weakling."

"Never said you were," Horatio retorted immediately. "To be completely honest you are the strongest woman I have ever met. As a result of that status I consider myself more…expendable in this situation."

 _He is…utterly infuriating!_

"That aside however…I wanted to test something."

With that final word he dropped into the dried up bed running out towards the closest tank, thankfully there were no Grimm between their hiding place and it. With a leaping jump he put a fist through the glass, shattering it in an instant, releasing the putrid liquid. The substance did not seem to take well to the air as it immediately began to evaporate, in a matter of seconds it was gone to be replaced by a blue mist."

"Ooooo, not the best choice," Merlot chuckled. "On contact with the air it reverts to a gaseous form…much more potent and far reaching."

True to his word, every Creeper in the room abandoned their respective vats, making straight for Horatio in the center of the mist.

"Perfect," Horatio smiled, sprinting for the closest Grimm.

Dodging the Grimm's talons he snatched the monster by its stubby tail. With a heave he quickly hurtled it towards the next closest tank. His eyes lit up into stars with success, just as he had hoped the Grimm exploded on contact with the vat, obliterating it and setting off a chain reaction of the other Creepers nearby.

"Unorthodox…but effective," Cinder had to admit as she nocked an arrow, targeting the furthest vat. Her arrow hit the mark with pinpoint accuracy, exploding immediately. Emerging from her hiding place she made her way for the nearest container of the strange liquid

Horatio had successfully destroyed two additional processing tanks. His strategy for using the Grimm's volatile nature against its brethren was bearing fruit. He had put a dent in their numbers, for every one he threw he managed to self-destruct another five to ten. He made sure to stay ahead of the clustered groups, using lone stragglers as his impromptu projectiles.

"Hmmm, Merlot scowled over the screen. "Considerable friendly fire…perhaps the next batch should be more stable."

Horatio ignored him, punching through the sixth container with little effort. The room was filling with the gaseous form of the fluid; it seemed to confusing the remaining Grimm as they wandered unsure as to which direction to move. Turning to the final vat he spotted Cinder. She was apparently saving her final arrows as she had drawn her swords and sliced a line through the glass perfectly causing the fluid to slowly drain out rather than explode.

"That's the last," he announced, catching up to her. "With any luck that will put a damper on his operation a bit."

Sure enough Dr. Merlot appeared again on the monitor, sighing audibly. "I would appreciate it if you didn't break all my things. But alas, my androids will rebuild it in no time. Thank you very much for the valuable data…this way please."

The visual cut out before Horatio could yell another retort, the large door on the far wall sliding open to beckon them.

"It's not as fulfilling if he doesn't get angry at us," Horatio groaned, making for the door before more Grimm or androids showed up. The remaining Grimm were seemingly harmless now that the entire room was full of the gas, they could not distinguish where they would rather go and wandered aimlessly.

Cinder only followed, a smile on her face as Horatio had not spotted the glass vial she slipped into one of her vest pouches…now filled with the blue liquid she had acquired before it evaporated.

 _Dr. Watts will be most interested to see this…_

 **Bullhead Overseas…**

Olivia glanced out over the seemingly endless body of water for what felt like the hundredth time. As before there was nothing new.

"Nothing at all?" Olivia asked again fully aware she was likely getting on his nerves.

"Negative," the young pilot replied, maintaining his military discipline. Olivia believed he had introduced himself as Bolt. "But we still have a considerable distance to cover based on the information your friends forwarded us on the ship they were aboard."

"And no mid-range scroll signals?"

"Negative, we don't have the equipment on board to reach long distances. "Beacon HQ has been keeping in touch with your team but has not had any luck pinpointing their location."

Olivia closed her eyes, trying to find that calm in her mind she had sought when practicing her semblance. Just breathe…and focus.

 _Horatio…._

"What about quadrant twelve?" Olivia asked, snapping her eyes open, pointing to the holographic map.

"We'd have to skip over five others," the pilot reported. We'll get to that one in about six hours.

"Can we do a pass of that area first? Just a feeling…"

"I…suppose," the pilot conceded. "It will make the overall search take longer but I can deviate to there first."

"Thank you," Olivia nodded as she disappeared into the back of the airship. Despite their lack of findings she made a note to thank Cinder for the information she had forwarded to Beacon. That was their only chance of even being in the general area to locate them.

With a huff she slumped next to Ray, with Mercury staying behind to watch Emerald she was the only member of Team CRMS on the Bullhead. Esmerelda was sitting with Ren and Nora on the other half of the airship, the area in between unsettlingly wide open with so few people inside.

"I cannot believe it, nothing again," she vented to Ray.

The silent member of Team CRMS was still reading that 'romantic thriller' Sais of Passion but turned to her to frown in her usual calm manner before returning to her book.

"I don't know how you do it, Esmerelda keeps saying I need to just relax until we hear more…but I just CAN'T!" Ray turned to face Olivia again, this time giving her undivided attention. "Sorry, I know…I know we can't do anything about it…but doesn't it just boil inside you when you have to just…wait?"

Ray scrunched her face before nodding, as if she were agreeing from experience.

"You do understand don't you?" Olivia smiled. "I should try to be more like you…you kept your cool even when we were being pursued in Forever Fall."

Ray closed her eyes and smiled cheerily, no doubt remembering the many Grimm she slew. The smile reminded Olivia of a little kid who had been told they were good by their parent.

"I…also never thanked you for saving me from the Beringel in the forest," Olivia finally remembered. With the chaos of the pursuit and rush to get medical aid for the others it had slipped her mind.

Ray only flipped her hand at her as if to say it was no big deal, patting Olivia on the back a few times for reassurance.

"Well…I owe you big," Olivia sighed, leaning back into her seat as Ray returned to her novel. They would find them…they had to.

Trying not to draw attention she leaned over, glancing at a few pages of the book Ray was reading. Horatio had been the one to recommend this to her team right? What kind of book was…?

Ray's head snapped towards her, locking her big green eyes with Olivia's accusingly as she closed the book with a slam.

"Um…is it any good?" Olivia asked awkwardly, quickly sitting back up in her seat.

Ray nodded again, holding the book close to her heart with another impossibly innocent smile.

 **Merlot Facility…Saturday Afternoon.**

"Here we have the Engineering Wing, the so-call 'brains' of our operation, if you're not counting my own intellect of course." Merlot chuckled to himself as Cinder and Horatio stepped off the elevator. "Don't be timid, there aren't any traps here…yet."

Horatio greatly doubted that were true. The new room they found themselves was filled with supercomputers behind protective glass. His eyes lit up upon seeing a line of access consoles. The next door Merlot wanted them to pass through was across the room.

 _Maybe we can get into the system through one of those,_ Horatio thought, glancing over at Cinder. Her technical knowledge that had shut down the tower was their only chance.

Cinder simply nodded upon catching his glances understanding completely.

 _Merlot can still monitor us…I need to keep his eyes off her…_ A light went off in Horatio's mind.

"So…doctor," he looked up at the ceiling, meandering to the side of the room opposite the consoles and leaning against the wall. He let out a few heavy breaths, making it look like he was winded. "You say the Grimm are superior to the human race…I would like to debate you on that theory."

"Well…I do suppose you have earned a breather," Merlot appeared on a nearby screen looking quite smug. The monitor was pointed right at Horatio; he would not be able to see Cinder unless he had multiple angles. "As the challenger you may lay out your opening arguments."

Cinder stood across a console along the wall, he could not even begin to guess what she was doing as she started clicking the mouse and typing with the other hand furiously but silently.

"First I would say the presence of aura and semblances," Horatio tried to act as 'professor-like' as possible. "Humans…Faunus…even animals can possess an aura and yet the Grimm cannot. I say it seems a sign that they are not as high on the evolutionary scale!"

Merlot sneered at him. "An amateurish proclamation…they merely took a different path emphasizing quantity over quality. They do not have an aura this is true…but they have demonstrated time and again how much more numerous they are than humanity and Faunus-kind combined and reproduce exponentially. You would not say birds are superior to humans due to their natural ability to fly that we must emulate through technology now would you?"

"And their lack of sentience as you yourself have pointed out?" Horatio continued, pointing his finger at the camera hoping that would annoy Merlot and keep him focused on their discussions. "Humanity has accomplished such achievements thanks to…enlightened individuals such as yourself," he had to restrain from gagging internally as he stroked the doctors ego. "Yet Grimm take decades if not longer to develop their own complicated thought processes. Until then they are little more than feral monsters. You never see Grimm flying airships after all."

"Their enhanced instinct more than makes up for it," Merlot fired back, Horatio could swear a vein on the doctor's head was throbbing. "They have a unique ability that has eluded humanity for eons…they can sense negative emotions. Be it a child who lost her parents, a traumatic event or even a jealous lover Grimm can sense and bear down upon it. You are a man of history; they must have taught you that ancient humanity only survived due to their discovery of dust. What kind of species requires an external source to secure their survival against another? Also despite their lack of intelligence as you put it they know what they want…Grimm only attack humans, not animals unless threatened."

Cinder was still working at the console, holding out a hand she rolled a single finger over and over again…signaling she needed more time. Horatio delved deep, trying to remember every overly complicated word he understood uttered by Professor Peach and Dr. Oobleck.

"Perhaps we are both looking at this wrong doctor," Horatio's mind was racing, despite the intention of a distraction he was starting to get into the debate itself. "We are both trying to determine which species is superior…but perhaps it is too soon to tell?"

"…Explain." Merlot rested his hand under his chin, stroking his blue-gray beard nonchalantly.

"You just said Grimm ONLY attack humans…and humans fight Grimm to stave off extinction…what we're saying sounds like Interspecific Competition. The Grimm AND Humanity sharing a habitat neither wants to. This is usually instigated by two species adapting to the same locale…but in this case that's the entire planet…what if humanity and Grimm share a past that predispositions us to hate one another beyond the normal environmental factors?"

Horatio thought back to the book Tukson had lent him. One of its proclamations was that the twin gods for which it was named had created both Humans and Grimm…the two destined to vie for dominance over Remnant until only one remained.

Merlot looked quite interested in their conversation now, smiling as no doubt dozens of ideas popped into his head. "It…would explain much, I have noticed in my research that occasionally Grimm seem to make their way to human settlements without reason. It was as if they were being directed despite their lack of sentience…even without negative emotions. It was this phenomenon that caused me to seek out what could draw Grimm in such a way. This led me to the substance you saw below. I may never have discovered the first puddle in Vacuo were it not for her help…"

 _Her?_

Before Horatio could inquire further Cinder held up her hand again, giving Horatio a triumphant thumbs up.

"But that is a moot point," Merlot concluded. "Regardless of our beginnings or what drives the Grimm I have heard no sufficient arguments as to our superiority over them…it is my conclusion that if what you say is true then Humanity will most assuredly lose this war for survival…no hard feelings."

"None at all doctor," Horatio smirked with an almost evil grin. "We were just leaving…"

"What?"

Cinder pressed a final key, setting off alarms all around them, only now did Merlot notice what she had been doing and started checking his other screens.

"Your network is now open to the world," Cinder announced proudly. "I was able to proxy the signal through our scrolls and broadcast it using your little tower on the other side of the island."

"O no…how could I be so stupid?" Merlot asked rhetorically as he frantically tried to undo the damage, he looked truly miserable.

"Well done Ms. Fall!" Ozpin complimented. "We have the island's coordinates and are sending in the cavalry. Find a way out and we can pick you up! It looks like there is an airship port beyond the sub-level."

"I'll be waiting!" Merlot growled before shutting down his monitor…he was truly furious and Horatio loved every second of it.

"See," Horatio turned to Cinder as they started following the map she had downloaded. "He's angry…way better feeling."

 **The Bullhead Overseas…**

"Island in sight!" Bolt shouted. Everyone was standing near the hatchways ready to disembark once they were close enough. "That was a good gut feeling of yours," he complimented Olivia.

They had just received the coordinates Professor Ozpin had acquired from Merlot's database. Even with the information had they continued on the previous search grid they would have taken hours to reach the island…which was located in quadrant twelve. As they were already en route it took only a few minor corrections to find it. They would be at the island soon, already they could see it on the horizon looming in the distance rapidly approaching.

"Professor Ozpin has sent us copies of the island and facility map," Esmerelda reiterated to the teams. "There is an airship port on the far edge built into the side of a cliff. We are heading there to secure the area and will await Horatio and Cinder who are currently on their way. We have to keep the port open at all costs, understood?"

Everyone shouted an affirmative with the exception of Ray who just nodded. Nora cocked her grenade launcher with a satisfying click.

"Hang on!" Bolt's voice crackled over the intercom as the Bullhead banked hard, forcing everyone to grab onto something for support.

Olivia pulled herself to the cockpit using the walls to steady herself, it felt like they were performing evasive maneuvers.

"What's going on?" she asked as she threw herself into a seat beside him.

"Massive anti-air resistance," Bolt shouted, clearly doing his best to explain and pilot at the same time. "We are getting a lot of flak."

True to his word, dozens of various missiles, dust-powered grenades and other projectiles were exploding all around them. Bolt was doing exceptionally well to avoid what he could, but it was clear the closer they got to the island the worse it would get.

"We can't fly into that!" he shouted. "There have to be two dozen long-range emplacements at least. I cannot guarantee…"

"Punch through!" Olivia looked out the window, focused and determined like never before.

At her command the Bullhead bobbed and weaved as it performed incredible aerial stunts to avoid the incoming fire, Ozpin had provided Bolt for the mission as one of his best pilots despite his age. The island was getting closer.

A blaring alarm broke her focus, a red light flashing menacingly across the console.

"Somethings locked onto us!" Bolt shouted. Sure enough a barrage of a dozen warheads could be seen quickly approaching the ship following their every maneuver and movement.

"Open the hatch!" Olivia shouted, readying her rifle. "We'll try and shoot…"

Before she could finish the warheads suddenly jerked hard to the right and veered away…missing them completely. High above them a series of lights began dropping from the clouds. The warheads flew into them before detonating harmlessly.

 _Aerial countermeasures?_

"My apologies for cutting that so close, we have been shadowing you for some time. Please pull back behind us and we will provide cover."

"Who is this?" Bolt demanded at the voice over the radio.

In answer, the clouds above parted as a massive Atlesian Airship dwarfing the Bullhead descended putting itself between them and the incoming fire. The missiles and other projectiles exploded one by one harmlessly before reaching its hull, intercepted by their defense grid. A holographic image of an older man with black and gray hair wearing an Atlas military uniform shimmered to life before them replacing the map.

"This is General Ironwood of the Atlas Command Ship Galinda. We received the data upload as well; the port you are looking for is on the western edge…we will clear you a path."

"Defense Grid interceptors at 95% of incoming fire and holding sir," they could hear the bustle of the command deck in the background.

"General Ironwood sir!" Esmerelda suddenly appeared beside Olivia despite the fact she had been in the back a moment ago. Her eyes were wide and the biggest smile Olivia had ever seen was on her face as she came face to face with her idol. "It is an honor to meet you sir!" She exclaimed with a salute.

The older gentleman returned her salute and smiled. "The honor is mine. Forward batteries….FIRE!"

A beam of red energy erupted from the Airship, impacting the edge of the island in a long cutting motion. It was too hard to tell precisely from their distance but Olivia could spot multiple explosions along the shore. They had definitely hit something important. The attacks from the island were noticeably lighter; three more enormous blasts from the Galinda reduced the barrage significantly.

"Sir, incoming fire is down to 65% and falling," the bridge officer reported again.

"That's your queue, make for the airship port; I have already sent in an agent in to assist. We will remain on station and cover your withdrawal."

"Yes sir!" Bolt shouted with a quick salute, diving low towards the water.

The Bullhead rocketed towards the island; the occasional attacks targeting them were quickly silenced by the Galinda's laser batteries. The mysterious island was no match for her firepower.

 _Hang on Horatio….Cinder….we're coming!_

 **Merlot Facility Lab…**

Roman Torchwick strolled into the room, it was incredibly clean and well-kept…probably a result of the decontamination chamber he had just blown up to get in.

"The things I do to stay alive," he grumbled. Roman detested frontline work but when a call comes in from her all mightiness you can't very well say no. With Neo on her little field trip he trusted no one else much less the White Fang flunkies he'd been forced to work with.

An android guard turned to face him before promptly exploding with a blast from his cane.

"I'll have to thank the kiddies for drawing away so many of these rust buckets."

Roman looked over his scroll, Cinder had been kind enough to provide the tracking bug's signal which allowed him to sneak to the island by submarine the previous night. The brats and incompetents working at Beacon had no idea how far behind they were in technology if a place like this could jam their equipment. New information had been glimpsed from Dr. Merlot's computer; apparently her Queenliness wanted him to take a detour through the lab while dropping off his package.

Roman continued looking around for the substance Cinder described, walking past several cages full of Grimm roaring to get out, their prisons holding strong. Roman turned his nose up at them.

"And dear mama wondered why I never stayed in school…"

Scouring the shelves Roman quickly found what they sought. Stacked high in reinforced glass containers were thick vials filled with a glowing mucus-green colored fluid…no doubt the serum she had mentioned. Labels were struck to each one with percentage numbers ranging from 1% to 90% in regular intervals.

Humming joyfully to himself Roman cracked open the cases with ease, taking a single vial of each percentage he could and placed them in a thick container he had brought with him. He already had the coordinates he would drop them off at….what happened after that…he didn't know or care.

The container sealed with a satisfying hiss, ensuring the safety of its contents for the trip.

"Hmmm," Roman muttered to himself. "Seems a shame to leave such a pristine room intact…just sends the wrong message."

Roman lifted the container by its handle and strolled to the door, once there he turned and fired a blast from his cane back inside. The containers exploded, most quite volatile while the remainder burst into flames. He fired a second shot for good measure, the previous pristine appearance now completely gone to be replaced with a spreading inferno.

Now with a skip in his step Roman made a bee-line for his submarine, no reason to stay here another moment. Especially not after spending so much time cooped up with that…thing Cinder had bid him drop off for gods know what reason.

Roman shivered slightly at the recollection, thankful that he would not have it in the sub with him on the way back.

 **Merlot Facility…Saturday Night…**

"Your team will be there shortly," Ozpin reported to Cinder and Horatio, the two of them continuing to sprint towards the lower levels. "I wanted to say that…the two of you have handled this exceptionally well. Everyone at Beacon is cheering for you."

According to the map they had taken from Merlot's database there was a large chamber on the sub level which led out to the Airship port where their Bullhead would be waiting for extraction.

"See," Horatio called back to Cinder as they ran. "Plenty of time to spare."

He stopped as the door to the final chamber slid open…immediately cursing himself for jinxing them. The room was nearly identical to the first vat room in that it appeared to have once been a lake bed. This room, however, had no processing tanks and seemed to be just a massive open space with large monitor screens on the walls.

"Welcome to the testing grounds students. Funny, even when seeking the way out you came exactly where I was leading you. Why don't you get acquainted with my test subject…she could use the exercise."

The giant doors leading to the airship hangar sealed as the ground began to shake, forcing Cinder and Horatio to grab onto one another to stay standing…the floor was opening up.

Emerging from the ground was the largest Deathstalker either had ever seen. Easily twice the size of the one Horatio had seen in the Emerald Forest during initiation, the mutation from Dr. Merlot's serum was evident. Its normally yellow stinger was instead glowing neon green, the crystals that adorned the Mutant Beowolves were scattered over its armored back…even its pincers glowed the venomous color in the artificial light of the room.

"THAT'S A SHE?" Horatio blurted out in surprise without realizing it.

"Scatter!" Cinder shouted as the behemoth brought its stinger down where they had been standing, shattering the ground a split second after the two had leapt in separate directions.

"Nature couldn't make a beast this deadly…so I had to myself."

Cinder fired one of her last three arrows exploding on the Deathstalker's normally unprotected belly. Instead the smoke cleared to reveal a new layer of armor, no weakness in sight.

Horatio leapt high into the air, dropping down like a rock in a move identical to the one that had crushed the Mutant Beowolf. His blow impacted the Grimm's armored back with a resounding boom but the armor held strong. The Deathstalker swatted its tail picking Horatio off its back and sending him flying into the wall nearby. Cinder took the opportunity to nock both her remaining arrows, firing at the last possible weak spot she could think of.

The glowing green stinger upon its tail…

Her arrows struck home, exploding on contact, the Deathstalker roared horribly, clearly in pain as green venom poured from its open wound. In a flash it burrowed back underground where it had come from but they were not clear yet. Moving impossibly fast the giant scorpion tunneled towards Cinder, kicking up large chunks of rock and rubble in all directions. Cinder leapt away gracefully but the Deathstalker changed course while still underground to match, emerging right in her path. She split her bow back into twin blades and came down hard, her sword scraping off the armor but not piercing.

Horatio was back on his feet and sprinting towards them, he looked faster than ever as his aura was practically glowing. The Deathstalker swung its claws at Cinder, forcing her to dodge with a backflip. It lined up with her as she fled and brought the stinger down anticipating her moves. Horatio was faster, in a flash he was in front of her, catching the stinger with his bare hands but being forced to one knee. The Deathstalker struggled but only managed to stalemate against Horatio's strength.

"O now two on one is hardly fair…let's level the playing field," Merlot chimed in over the intercom, still sneering at them.

From the ceiling above small ports opened, allowing dozens of androids to drop down into the room, surrounding them. Cinder guessed it was the very force that had been hounding them all day. With calculated accuracy they started lobbing dust-grenades at Horatio, impacting him while he could not move.

Horatio's aura grew brighter and brighter until he was hard to look upon, he groaned in frustration as he could not move without releasing the stinger. Cinder slashed the first several androids but could not make any headway, there were simply too many.

"Just go!" Horatio shouted, grenades impacting him from all sides. "Your swords should be able to cut through that door. Get to the airship while you can!"

"You are not MY team leader and I am not leaving!" Cinder shouted back, barely understanding why she was saying it…this was her chance to be rid of him. A grenade landed near her feet in the moment she was distracted, detonating and blasting her backwards.

Horatio grunted in anger, pulling on the Deathstalker's tail he swung it as hard as he could in a semi-circle. He succeeded in clipping an entire row of androids…but not enough. With renewed strength the Deathstalker lifted Horatio off the ground by its tail, slamming him into floor and pinning him with a sickening crunch.

Cinder stumbled to her feet, still surrounded by androids, the red halberd ones coming to the front, the white grenadiers loading another volley in the back.

 _That is ENOUGH!_

"You…will….BOW!" Cinder growled, her right eye suddenly enshrouded in flame.

The androids ignored her words and fired a volley of grenades that sailed her way. Cinder raised her hands, her body emitting a flaming aura matching the one around her eye that deflected them back to their sources with an explosive detonation.

"C-Cinder?" Horatio stared, still struggling beneath the tail, amazed as she hovered there shining like some sort of angel.

Cinder threw her arms to her sides, in an instant the fiery aura billowed outward like a shockwave consuming everything in its path and reducing each android to a pile of molten slag without exception finally reaching the Deathstalker and Horatio.

Horatio had never felt such heat as the wave engulfed him, for a moment he was fearful that he would cook alongside the androids. The fire enveloped him completely and yet despite the heat and chaos around him he felt…calm…at peace within the flames. He was able to withstand them without injury though his body was still smoking as he got to his feet.

The scorpion-Grimm roared in pain as its natural armor burst into flames, burning away as it swatted at them in a vain attempt to put itself out.

Horatio, now freed from the tail, rolled away and rejoined Cinder's side, she was somehow still standing, refusing to kneel again.

 _He…he saw it….more than that he SURVIVED it! How?_

"That was incredible!" Horatio exclaimed as he ran to her, clearly wanting to make sure she was alright but keeping a distance until the heat from his body subsided. "I had…no idea you could do…"

Cinder's locked two fingers onto his lips, sealing them before he could say another word. Horatio realized the heat did not affect her in the slightest.

"No…you didn't…and I would prefer you tell no one about that. I…don't want others to know."

Horatio looked as if he were about to ask further but stopped himself, only replying with an understanding head nod and genuine smile.

 _I suppose he of all people would understand someone trying to keep their true abilities a secret…_

The roar of the Deathstalker grew unbearable. The fire had burned itself out but at the cost of the Grimm's entire armored carapace…now little more than charred chitin revealing the soft wrinkled skin beneath.

"NO!" Merlot screamed over the intercom. "SHE WAS UNIQUE! HOW DARE YOU!?"

The Grimm was clearly not finished, despite the extensive injuries it still sought their death, with a blood-curdling roar it stampeded towards the two Hunters. Horatio clenched his fists, ready to end it with a single punch.

"Please assume a lower position," an overly cheerful woman's voice chimed into their scrolls.

The door leading to the airship port started straining behind them as if a great pressure was pushing against it. The metal discolored and bent inward as clearly something was trying to enter.

Horatio grabbed Cinder and pulled her to the ground seconds before an emerald blast of energy obliterated the door. The beam continued over their heads, slamming straight into the Deathstalker. Without its armor the beam cleaved through its body which seemed to take several seconds before it realized what had happened and collapsed in two clean pieces.

A familiar orange-haired girl poked her head inside with a smile.

"Salutations!"

"Penny?" Horatio shouted with a smile, barely recognizing the girl from the café now decked out in Atlas Special Forces Armor. Realizing Cinder was ok and his body temperature was relatively back to normal he bounded towards her, wrapping the girl in a great bear hug. "Are we glad to see you!"

"Likewise," she answered, still standing straight as a board without reciprocating the hug. "The airship is waiting ahead; I will be withdrawing with you and your team. It is nice to meet you," she finished turning to Cinder with a smile.

"Likewise…" Cinder repeated, not quite sure what to make of the girl.

"NOOOOOO!" Merlot screamed. "My one of a kind specimen! This is inconceivable!"

"It's over Merlot," Ozpin returned to the channel to deliver the verbal coup de grace. "You have nothing left."

"I do have…one thing left," Merlot cackled before shutting down the transmission. The view screen exploded, the others quickly following suit. The entire cavern started rumbling and shaking like an earthquake.

"Team! Merlot is going to blow up the entire lab; we are detecting a massive power build-up on that island. You have to get out now!"

"This way!" Penny led them through the smoldering remains of the door.

Cinder couldn't believe how close they had been to escape, barely a handful of hallways and they were at the hangar. There was enough room for a small fleet of airships and a single tunnel leading outside dug into the rock. Their Bullhead was hovering just above the furthest pad, hatch already open and waiting. Androids littered the walkways, no doubt dealt with courtesy of their classmates.

"Gogogo!" Olivia commanded as they sprinted for the ship, the ceiling already starting to cave in around them.

Penny was the first one inside, Cinder close behind with Horatio last barely hopping up as the ship lurched, the pad falling into the water below.

His feet collapsed beneath him along with the pad, hand reaching for something…anything to stop his fall into the sea. At the last moment Cinder caught him, she had been forced down onto her stomach to reach his hand in time.

"We gotta go!" the pilot shouted from the cockpit, the Bullhead taking off down the tunnel with Horatio still hanging outside the opened hatch holding on for dear life. The ship was just barely outrunning the collapsing debris.

Cinder held on, her hand gripping his. With the momentum of the Bullhead's escape he couldn't pull his other hand close enough to grab hold of her.

 _It would be so simple,_ Cinder contemplated, she was all that kept Horatio from slipping into the waters below. _Just a simple relaxation of my hand…he couldn't hold onto me on his own…at this speed we'd never find him before the cave came down around us. I doubt his semblance would prevent drowning. No one would question it…they might even feel bad for me…that's all it would take…a single relaxation of my hand…and his threat would be gone forever…_

Cinder tightened her grip, with a grunt she pulled Horatio into the safety of the Bullhead, finally allowing them to close the hatch as the island lit up against the night sky behind them.

"Come in," Ozpin shouted over the scrolls. "Students…are you alright?"

"We got him!" Esmerelda shouted, her and Nora hugging each other with joy. Ren and the others sighed with relief. "They are both accounted for, no casualties!"

Horatio just laid there on his back beside Cinder who had also decided not to get up off the ground. With what they had been through even the hard metal floor felt quite comfortable.

"So…" Horatio sighed, his heart rate finally returning to normal as he rolled onto his side to face Cinder. "Pick you up around 6 tomorrow?"

 **Deeper in the Facility…**

His prize specimen dead…his lab sacked and destroyed, Merlot was beside himself. What power did that strange girl show? And how was it his androids did not attack the intruder on sight with the orange hair…it seemed they misconstrued her as a fellow android! A flaw to locate later…Merlot was nearly packed, he had lost everything but could start over with his notes…this wasn't over.

A crash towards the exit door broke his concentration, spinning to face it he caught the heads of his two remaining crimson android guards rolling towards him severed at the neck.

"Who's there?" Merlot shouted, pulling a pistol on the door. An unnatural, nightmarish series of gurgling clicks were his only answer.

Through the door floated a creature, clearly a Grimm but unlike any he had ever seen. It almost looked like a floating jellyfish but far more menacing. Its body was a black void with what appeared to be a red sphere inside covered with Grimm-mask plates and spikes. Six thin red tentacles protruded from its bottom each ending in a bone-spear, how it was managing to float like that was not clearly evident.

Merlot's eyes widened at the sight, its very appearance coupled with the sound it emitted seemed to radiate a feeling of fear and dread. Without hesitation he opened fire.

The Grimm did not move, its tentacles merely swiping in the way to deflect each shot, before he could empty the clip a spear slashed, dismembering Merlot's mechanical hand. He collapsed to a knee, his severed hand still gripping the gun. Merlot cradled his sparking stump, it did not hurt for real as he had lost the real one years ago, but his body still remembered the phantom pain of the first time.

"Now now Doctor," a voice seemed to echo from within the Grimm's spherical upper half. "That is no way to greet an old benefactor."

"Y-you?" he asked, remembering the voice. That unknown patron who had provided him his original clue to locate the first reservoir of the substance that would become the base for his Grimm Bait and Serum, there was no mistaking it. The voice was clearly feminine, but dark and malevolent eliciting fear with every syllable. It had been his fear of that voice that drove him to fortify his location on this island, praying it never found him again. "Who are you?"

"You will learn in good time Doctor, you are fortunate I am so forgiving for you trying to hide here from me. You had to know it would not last."

"What do you want? I have nothing left."

"Nonsense, as we speak a copy of your entire database and precious formula are being taken to a safe place with sufficient samples to start over ten fold. Where we are taking you…you will never want for Grimm to study again."

Merlot's eyes lit up at those words, his previous fear still present but overshadowed by the prospect of greater research free from the painfully short-sighted vision of Ozpin and the public.

"And...what do you wish in return?"

"Many things in time Doctor," the voice continued. "But for now all you need do…is kneel."

 **The Grimm Eclipse draws to a close as our heroes escape the island looking forward to a time of peace. One enemy defeated but not vanquished to darken their futures another day. I want to thank everyone reading this story. Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy :)**


	17. Dance Dance Ready

**The days return to their shining glory, the night of the dance has arrived at last. Our heroes prepare for an evening of fun, love and the creation of memories that will follow them all their lives. A big thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this story...enjoy :)**

The debriefing was thankfully short, Professor Ozpin was that kind. Upon their return to Beacon the first thing everyone wanted was a good night's sleep.

"The detailed briefing can wait…rest now; I hear Ms. Schnee and Ms. Xiao Long have set up quite the…shin dig…"

Had he been there Horatio was certain even Roland would have groaned at that. Unfortunately he was still recovering and was not permitted to attend the dance despite extreme protest. The day passed uneventfully, everyone involved with the extended mission was sleeping soundly in their dorms after returning…saving their energy for the evening ahead.

Well…almost everyone…

 **Exchange Student Dormitory…**

"I don't like last second changes," Mercury grumbled, his arms crossed...he was fuming.

Cinder had broken the news that she would be attending the dance and Emerald would be handling the infiltration. Mercury was to arrive alone to keep an eye on those in attendance, particularly the teachers. Cinder would support him

"O don't be so upset, just because you'll be just about the only one there dateless," Emerald snickered under her breath.

"The situation demanded alterations," Cinder explained. As she spoke she continued to manipulate the dust in her dress, trying to settle on the perfect design and color for the evening. "Are you certain your absence won't be noticed?"

"Not a problem," Emerald assured her. "The doctor just 'happened' to spot a rather serious looking fracture he couldn't believe he didn't notice last he checked. I have been 'forced' into house arrest until further notice to keep weight off it. Though I have a feeling that fracture will be miraculously better next time he looks."

"Excellent," Cinder rearranged the dust in her dress again, shifting its appearance and spectrum to a dark red color.

"An open-backed design, good choice," Emerald complimented.

"Well…he IS quite fond of my tattoo."

 _He's probably fonder of the back it's attached to._

"O black is definitely more you," Emerald critiqued, figuring there would be no other opportunity for such…girly talk with Cinder ever again. Not to mention she was absolutely loving Mercury's pained expression as he had nothing to add. With a nod Cinder shifted the color to black, letting the dust particles shine brighter on the dark backdrop. Emerald offered up a choice of shawls she thought would give it some needed flair.

"I'm just saying," Mercury complained further. "Em is not as good a fighter as you, what if security is heavier than we think?"

"I trust her abilities," Cinder dismissed, still focused on her clothes. "She'll be able to drop off the package and get out with potentially less fuss than even if I went."

"It's too risky," Mercury was actually getting really worked up over her going in alone, Emerald was quite surprised he was so concerned. "We should stick with the original idea, just shoot him down and say that you have other plans. This isn't worth it just so you can go play princess with some guy…"

Cinder's dress fluttered to the bed abandoned as she appeared in front of Mercury, lifting him into the air and pinning him to the wall with a single hand, her right eye was encircled in flame once more. Emerald stepped back and made sure the drapes were closed, she knew better than to try and intervene.

"Make no mistake," she spoke in a low but harsh whisper. "I have now witnessed firsthand the depth of his power; he survived the fires of a Maiden at the peak of her anger. Do you think you could do the same?"

Her hand heated up as she spoke, starting to singe the collar of Mercury's vest from which he was being held.

"N-no," he admitted as Cinder dropped him to the floor in a heap.

"He is a worthy knight…and he WILL be mine before we enact our plan. The risk…is worth the gain."

Emerald's smile widened, she enjoyed watching Cinder really cut loose. She hadn't seen this side of their leader since the battle with Amber. And yet…it was somewhat more reserved than she had come to expect, her smile when mentioning Horatio a bit calmer and filled with less malice.

 _I trust her more than anyone and anything…but is his power really the only reason she wants him on our side? I'll have to do my own reconnaissance during the festival…_

 **Later that evening…**

Jaune looked himself over in the mirror, adjusting his bow tie for what felt like the dozenth time. The dance would be starting in a few hours…he had to make sure everything was perfect for Pyrrha. He had made a full recovery after his run in with the mutated Grimm but he felt awful. His first sight upon waking was Pyrrha smiling over him though it was obvious she had been crying…he had to make sure he never made her cry again…not ever.

A knock broke his concentration, with a sigh he abandoned the tie and answered the door. To his shock none other than Cardin Winchester stood outside his room, hands behind his back and head down slightly.

"Cardin?" Jaune started to ask before the larger man grabbed him by the mouth to silence him.

"I am only going to ask this one time," he whispered. "And if I hear you told ANYONE about it I will consider bringing back old habits…nod if you understand."

Jaune nodded through his hand, Cardin released his grip, stepping backwards as he straightened his own suit.

"I hear from a…reliable source that you know…how to dance?" He wouldn't say it, but Jaune had divulged the information to Velvet weeks ago who mentioned it to Cardin in conversation while she praised Jaune's combat improvement.

"Yea…it was pretty much a requirement with seven sisters." Jaune was horribly confused but saw no reason to lie.

"Teach me," Cardin quickly muttered, so low Jaune was uncertain what he'd heard.

"Come again?" He cleaned some wax out of his ear.

"I…never learned how to," he stuttered, glancing at the floor. "Velvet is amazing at that kind of thing. I'm telling you Arc I have no idea why she is even giving me the time of day after what I did…if I go out there tonight like I am I'll make a fool of myself."

Jaune smiled softly, he much preferred this Cardin. Never in a million years would he ever have thought he'd see Cardin Winchester and Velvet Scarlatina together. The universe always packs surprises.

"Why don't you just ask Velvet to teach…?"

Cardin closed the distance, his face serious again. "You DON'T ask your girlfriend for this kind of thing, that's man code 101 Arc!"

 _Well at least it's better than his old code…_

"Well," he thought, thankful that Nora and Ren were out for the day getting ready. Nora REFUSED to go to the dance until her dress and make-up were approved by him…that would be hours at least. Pyrrha insisted on getting her hair professionally done with them. "We have time, I suppose I can show you a few moves. Have you ever danced before at all?"

"Only to cheer at my favorite teams winning."

 _Hoo boy…_

"Okay then," Jaune started, taking a step towards Cardin. "I guess we can start with a slow dance which is pretty simple. The most important part to that is hand placement and not stepping on each other's feet, the rest is just swaying to the music."

Cardin nodded along with Jaune's instructions, clearly hanging on his every word.

"Ok then, hand placement first. If I am Velvet you want to take my right hand with your left." Cardin complied. "Then put your right hand on my waist."

Cardin stared at Jaune blank-faced, contemplating whether this was some sort of payback for the first weeks of school.

"I swear Arc…if you are pulling my chain I WILL bury you where the Beowolves will never find you…"

Jaune swallowed hard though smiled internally. He had seen Cardin trying to be threatening in the past…now was clearly not a real attempt as his words held no menace or ill intent. He felt like he was talking with a friend…

 **Next Door…**

"This is sort of last minute," Horatio explained to Neptune. "If you want high quality I would need a few hours. Also I'll be doing a portrait of the ballroom for Professor Ozpin so I need to leave early."

Neptune sulked; he had come all the way to their dorm begging for a portrait of him and Weiss he could present to her as a gift at the dance. He had wanted to before but was too late as his team had already left for Forever Fall. Horatio didn't see how he could as he was also putting the finishing touches on coloring Cinder's and was hoping to finish before he picked her up.

"I'd be more than happy to do one for you after the dance," Horatio reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The Vytal Festival grounds open next week; I'll even have a booth."

"That may be too late!" Neptune shouted. He was clearly worried about something.

"Too late for what?"

Neptune glanced left and right, checking the hallway and closing the door to make sure they were alone.

"Weiss asked me to the dance…I should have said no but Esmerelda showed up for their morning coffee and I couldn't say no in front of TWO girls so I said yes…but it was a mistake, she'll never forgive me."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I can't dance," he squeaked out, unwilling or unable to say it again.

"YOU…can't dance?" Horatio asked, shocked at the revelation. "But you're…sooo cool…"

"Thank you," Neptune smiled shyly, his teeth sparkling again. "I try really….REALLY hard."

"But I know Weiss," Horatio continued, remembering their past conversations between classes. "If you just explain to her that you…aren't the best at dancing I am sure she wouldn't hate you for it. Just do your best."

"But…" Neptune continued. "I have to get better before tonight! Can't you show me some moves?"

Only then did the realization hit Horatio like a ton of dust crystals…he had never danced before either. How did he overlook that fact?! His lack of experience with girls was rearing its ugly head.

 _CINDER IS GOING TO KILL ME!_ He screamed internally, his own advice already forgotten.

"Well…Ren is pretty coordinated," Horatio theorized. "He is sure to have some advice and he is very discreet…we can ask him!"

Neptune jumped to his feet, the two of them heading next door to Team JNPR's room. With their minds in a state of damage control they didn't even think to knock before opening the door.

"Ren, we need your advice on…"

The two froze as the image before them took shape. Jaune Arc was in the middle of a slow dance with Cardin Winchester, eyes glancing down at each other's feet as they spun around the room.

"Right, now try doing it while looking at my eyes," Jaune continued before catching sight of the two at the door.

"Uh….uh…." Neither of them had any words.

 _Does Pyrrha know about this?_

Cardin turned, his face bursting red in anger and embarrassment matching Jaune's, in a flash he was behind them, closing the door and locking it this time with an ominous click. His eyes appeared to be glazed over.

"Of course….now you realize none of you can leave this room…"

Horatio and Neptune held each other in fear as Cardin advanced menacingly towards them.

 **At the Dance Hall…**

Glynda Goodwitch, Professor Ozpin and the other teachers were putting the finishing touches on the auditorium. Ms. Schnee and Ms. Xiao Long had truly outdone themselves.

Filters had been placed over the lights, giving the room a purple and blue color scheme with just the right touch of pink and white. Balloons and drapes in matching colors had been set up along the walls leaving the center of the room wide open for the dozens of dancers that would be attending. Tables and chairs were set up with ice-themed doilies; the choice of flower adorning each was a white rose. The stage had been cleared for the bands that would perform, a thin layer of fog rolling across it.

 _Where did they even get a fog machine…was that in the budget?_

The auditorium was currently empty but that would change within the hour. Mr. Soplar had volunteered to do a portrait of the entire hall once full and would be arriving shortly to set up…no doubt he would bring his date Ms. Fall with him. The rest of the students would be trickling in after that with a full house expected by 7:30.

Ironwood would be by around then; he was still filing a report on the Merlot incident with his superiors. She really owed him for this; he'd reported that his ship had come across the island while on a training exercise before the Vytal Festival. The island explosion had literally sunk it beneath the ocean before nights end which removed any need for follow-up excursions. Thanks to him Vale military forces did not have to assemble and all their plans could continue as before.

"Excellent work Ms. Goodwitch," Ozpin announced, appearing behind her as he was quite good at. "I do say this may be our best dance in years."

"A band, full house including multiple years AND an artist on call…you may be right," she allowed some optimism after the victories of the last few days. Ms. Xiao Long would be arriving soon to make final preparations. "It is too bad about Mr. Mane being unable to attend; I hear he made quite the fuss."

"His injury was a broken arm and ribs correct?"

"Just the arm now, but it was broken in many places, I would say another few days for a full recovery even with his aura."

"I see," Ozpin took a sip from his mug determined to bring a miracle however small to the festivities.

 **Outside the Exchange Student Dorm…**

Horatio breathed in and out deeply as he stood outside Team CRMS' room, a pair of covered canvas boards under his arm.

Jaune's training remained fresh in his mind…remember feet and hand placement, eyes forward, mind the environment. He was surprised how graceful Cardin could be when they were practicing with each other…an event that required a blood pact between them to ensure it was never uttered again. He almost wished he'd known the music ahead of time so he could plan his movements…but it was too late for that. Jaune's best advice stayed at the forefront of his mind.

"If the tempo picks up and the slow dance is no longer appropriate…just pretend you are fighting. Dancing really isn't too different from combat maneuvers and requires about the same dexterity and energy."

Clearing his throat Horatio rapped on the door three times with the back of his hand.

"Who is it?"

"Your carriage awaits milady," he announced in his false baritone, standing up straight to his full height.

The door slowly opened, had he not been mentally prepared he is certain he may have fainted.

Cinder stood in the doorway wearing the most beautiful black evening gown Horatio had ever seen held up only by the thin strap at her neck. Once again it appeared her dress had dust-catalysts built in as they shimmered across the surface like stars in the night sky. The dress went down to her ankles with a matching colored shawl tied at her waist falling down her left leg. The gown had the same open slit on the right as her red dress only this time there were no feathers and her pale leg could be seen. The back of the dress was open exposing her captivating tattoo. She wore elbow-length gloves on each hand with her same black high-heeled shoes completing the dark vision of perfection. He even spotted earrings with gold clips holding up a small onyx crystal on each ear. Smaller versions of the crystals were wrapped as a bracelet around her right ankle she had worn for her portrait; her hair was pristine as ever.

"I see my escort comes prepared," Cinder teased, noticing the boards in each hand.

"O these?" he fumbled as he set the larger of the two on the ground. "That one is for the painting I'll be doing of the dance tonight…this one is for you."

He handed her the second smaller canvas still wrapped and covered by a cloth.

"It's done?" She asked as she took the board, savoring the moment of revelation.

A scent caught her attention, as she pulled back the board she saw that Horatio had something in his hand. It was a corsage that he'd been hiding behind the painting. The corsage included a set of deep red tulips bound together with a gold band matching the coloration of the designs on her red dress. They were capped off with a large black crystal similar to her earrings in a rhombus shape. He would never admit he had used a good bit of his earnings working at Tukson's to buy it. The Faunus librarian was surprisingly knowledgeable of the best jewelry stores in Vale.

Emerald, Mercury and even Ray were peeking through the cracked door, their presence was painfully obvious but both ignored them.

Cinder's face lit up with a genuine smile at the unexpected gesture, between the black gem, gold color and deep red of the tulips he had incorporated her favorites…he was a good listener. He must have acquired the tulips himself as the flowers being distributed by the school were white roses. Without a word she extended her hand, granting him access and permission to fasten it snugly to her left wrist.

"The painting…can wait," Cinder finally said, handing it to Mercury through the door still without acknowledging their presence. Linking arms the two began their walk towards the dance, Horatio almost forgetting to retrieve the second canvas board he would use for the dance portrait.

Mercury looked over the covered portrait. "Hey, at least we get an early viewing," he started undoing the cord around it.

"You really want to risk Cinder noticing it was opened without her….really?"

Mercury glanced at Emerald over to the painting and back to her. With a huff he leaned it against Cinder's bed untouched to await her return after the festivities. Behind them Ray was standing in front of a mirror snapping her fingers, each one signaling a change of dress. With her semblance she could wear anything she wanted…which made the selection process all the more infuriating.

 **Outside the Dance…**

Sun adjusted his tie, at Neptune's insistence he had been forced to wear it, replacing his normal white jacket with a black one from a tuxedo. He had even buttoned it up, denying the world the vision of his abs.

"Stupid…neck trap," he struggled again, swearing that no matter how he pulled or pushed it kept getting tighter.

"I knew you looked better in a tie."

Sun spun around; catching sight of Blake standing behind him…he had no words.

Blake stood across from him, wearing a purple dress with a halter top ending just above her knee split up the right side to reveal her leg. A black see-through mesh covered her shoulders and protected her from the chilly night air…she even had a new teal-colored bow to cover her Faunus ears though Sun felt she didn't need it. Black wrist bands and matching pumps rounded out her dance attire.

Blake approached him, with a quick jerking motion she adjusted his tie, instantly it felt far more comfortable.

"So…" Sun started as Blake claimed one of his arms and started leading him to the dance. "Does this mean we're going…together together?"

"Technically," Blake chuckled. "Though my first dance is spoken for."

 _Perhaps these neck traps aren't so bad…it allowed me to get caught by the most beautiful girl in Remnant after all…_

Olivia witnessed the exchange from further back; she was having the time of her life watching all the couples walk by. She had found a beautiful dress almost the same brown-green of her camo clothing and had bought it in an instant. It was a thinner dress, the skirt stopping just above her knees in the front with a longer tail in the back down to her ankles. It was a cut low in the front with strings allowing it to be tied as tight or loose as she wanted; the sleeves were poufy and quite short barely making it past her shoulders. She had a camera wrapped around her neck to take pictures for her scrapbook but would be helping Yang with greeting the attendees as they arrived later in the night when she needed a break. She hadn't been asked by anyone nor found anyone who caught her eye but it didn't bother her…she was used to remaining unnoticed.

She was taking a snapshot of the two when she caught another shape in her view. Ray was strolling down the path just ahead with absolutely graceful steps as usual. She was alone which baffled Olivia, how did NO ONE ask her out?

"Hi!" she shouted, waving her arms to catch up with the silent girl.

Ray turned around, giving a playful wave. Her dress looked quite old fashioned being a wide black and white checkered hoop skirt complete with matching corset. The only thing missing was a wide-brimmed hat and umbrella.

"That is a beautiful dress," she gushed truthfully, as old fashioned as it was Ray wore it well. "No lucky guy escorting you tonight?"

Ray shook her head, her expression neutral as to whether she minded or not.

"Yea, me too," she chuckled. "How would you fancy a traveling partner?" Olivia extended her arm.

Ray stared blankly as if stunned by the request but after several seconds curtsied politely and accepted the arm. The two continued to the dance with a literal skip in their step.

 **At the Dance…**

The couples arrived one after the other. Team CFVY, now fully rested from their mission to the Emerald Forest, entered first. They started with Coco in her brown strapless dress and Fox who was the only boy there who had his own custom-made Tuxedo with the jacket and pants being the bright red he was accustomed to wearing. Coco still refused to leave her sunglasses or beret behind.

Velvet and Cardin were next, the rabbit-Faunus photographer had selected a long pink dress with straps. Her white gloves extended far even past her elbow. Yang had to admit they made a pretty cute couple.

Yatsuhashi and Esmerelda walked through the doors, the difference in size painfully obvious. Yatsuhashi held up a "V" for victory sign and a huge grin as they entered, he certainly had his playful side behind the stoic silence. Esmerelda was amazed they found a suit in Yatsuhashi's size…he was an even seven feet tall with the muscle mass to match. She had considered asking to let her sit on his shoulders as she was probably a feather to him. She had been bold and gone with an open-back gown reaching down to just below the knee and ornate straps shaped like waves. It was a light sky blue which she thought complimented her auburn hair. Yatsuhashi certainly liked it; he bowed low at the waist when he saw her. For an instant she was nearly taller than him.

Weiss and Neptune were already at the dance, Neptune meeting her there as she completed final preparations. He wore the same tuxedo and bow tie all the men were wearing though had refused to remove his signature goggles. Weiss once again remained in her preferred color palate having donned a white sleeveless dress cut out at both sides with a clear mesh beneath. They were seldom seen not holding hands.

Team JNPR entered altogether, Ren and Nora on the left and Jaune with Pyrrha on the right. Nora had settled on a strapless pink dress that had apparently gotten a delayed reaction from Ren…a sure sign it was perfect. Pyrrha had a tall evening gown open in the back matching the fire of her hair; Jaune could barely stop staring every few minutes despite his best efforts.

Yang threw Jaune a wink, she was certain everyone saw Pyrrha's attraction to the blonde knight from the beginning. Thank goodness he wasn't so dense to not see it himself.

"You…look….so beautiful!" Yang gushed as her little sister entered the ballroom next. She was standing at the podium to greet the attendees as they arrived.

Ruby stumbled into the room as she had the entire way from her dorm. Mercury had helped to stabilize her movement since running into her...literally. How she had planned to make it all the way with no balance in heels was a mystery to him.

Ruby had gone with a short sleeveless dress the same color as her signature hood which was noticeably missing. She had a clear mesh covering her shoulders identical to Weiss', the center of her dress was split down the front disappearing behind a black sash she had tied across her midriff. The difficulty walking was due to her high-heeled shoes.

"Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss manages to fight in these things?" Ruby asked now blaming the girl who had recommended the shoes.

"Gotta look your best sis, this is going down in history," Yang motioned to the second floor just past the circular stairs going up.

At the top in the center was Horatio sitting in front of a large canvas, though the dancing had not started yet he was hard at work. Cinder was sitting beside him punch glass in hand clearly disinterested in the party as the two seemed to be having an in-depth discussion. Ruby stood up as straight as possible but wobbled again, it required Mercury's steady hands to ensure she reached the punch bowl without injury.

Olivia and Ray were the next to arrive, Ray taking her leave briefly while Olivia relieved Yang so she could fulfill her promise to Blake. Yang curtsied politely, Sun reluctantly handing her over as they went off together. The first song selected was a slower one and the two were breathtaking together.

"Pardon me…may I have this dance?" A voice behind him asked.

"Sorry but I'm already spoken foooo…." Sun's jaw hit the floor as he realized who had just propositioned him.

Not far away Jaune and Pyrrha were lighting up the dance floor, the two did not look like it was possible to be happier. Ren and Nora were not far, Nora refusing to let him lead and nuzzling his face with the occasional boop whenever she got the opportunity.

"I had no idea you knew how to dance!" Pyrrha remarked.

"Well this thing tends to happen when you grow up with seven sisters," he chuckled. Glancing over Jaune received subtle thumbs up from Neptune and Cardin as both were performing rather well with their dates despite the rushed instruction. Everything was perfect.

 **Blake and Yang…**

Across the room Blake and Yang were on the dance floor, swaying energetically from side to side, a huge smile on both of their faces. Team RWBY's goal to give Blake an evening of happiness was already a resounding success. This had been a wonderful first dance.

A quiet commotion rose up from the other dancers, something seemed to be happening behind them, keeping in pace with the music Blake and Yang turned to see. Yang's eyes widened and Blake's jaw dropped. Sun was on the dance floor trying his best to perform the simple dance movements…but what drew her attention was his partner.

Smiling straight at her Roland was spinning with him, his left arm was wrapped in a cast forcing his tuxedo sleeve to hang empty at his side. He and Sun held hands as they spun, Sun's other hand resting on Roland's shoulders due to the inaccessibility of his cast. It was clear Roland was using the music to make his way over to Yang. Sun was smiling but looked very uncomfortable; no doubt awaiting the moment he would be reunited with Blake.

Yang was speechless, glancing back and forth between them and Blake it was obvious what she wanted. Blake just smiled and nodded, allowing Yang to take the lead they danced and swayed through the crowd, as they drew near the dancing men the song was about to switch.

Their timing could not have been planned better; the crescendo had been building the whole time and the moment the beat spiked to its peak Sun and Blake worked in tandem, spinning their partners away into each other's arms while they stepped into one another's. The two Faunus danced together smiling and laughing into the crowd.

Yang threw her arms around Roland's neck; causing him to wince slightly as she brushed the cast but he said nothing…he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"I thought you were stuck for the next few days! How did you get out?" Yang asked with joy, resting her right hand on his left shoulder gently, allowing him to place his on her waist.

"I got leave by special dispensation under the expressed orders I stick to the slower songs," he explained with a laugh, motioning to the corner of the room with his head.

Smiling serenely Professor Ozpin raised his mug in toast to them with a slight head nod, clearly the mastermind of his unexpected arrival. Yang waved cheerfully back to the Headmaster, she would be sure to thank him later after the night was over.

"You and Weiss are amazing," he complimented, glancing around the room. "This night is perfect." Roland finally got a good look at Yang's dress. It was a simple sleeveless halter-neck dress not quite reaching her knees that was pure white from top to bottom with matching shoes. It was simple...but Roland could not think of anything she would have looked more beautiful in.

"No," Yang corrected, resting her head in his chest as the song slowed again. Every now and then it was ok to act a little girly. "Now it's perfect"

 **Second Floor Terrace…**

"All dancers are accounted for with partners," Mercury reported quietly under his breath after he was able to sneak off from Ruby. "You are clear to go…try to be done by midnight to be on the safe side."

"I'll be wrapped up before you turn back into a mouse," Emerald teased as she dropped down outside her dorm window. She was arrayed in a skin-tight black jumpsuit complete with a hooded mask that covered all except her eyes and mouth. With silent efficiency she disappeared into the night heading in the direction of the Cross Continental Transit Tower or CCT Tower for short…one of the four worldwide devices responsible for instant wireless communication between the Kingdoms of Remnant…The evening was just starting.

 **The first dance begins, our heroes, their friends, foes and loved ones begin their first celebration at Beacon Academy. Fun, festivities, trials and shadows lurk ahead for them this very night…Read and Review…but most of all enjoy :)**


	18. Dance Dance Revelation

**Wow, over 1900 views! I never thought this would get so many! A big thank you to everyone reading, reviewing and enjoying :)**

 **The dance and evening continues…what joy and uncertainties await our heroes?**

 **Above the Dance Floor…**

Horatio was furiously working on the painting; it was far harder than he thought once the dancing had started. There had to be over a hundred people in the room moving together. He had just spotted Sun and Roland dancing in the crowd making their way toward Blake and Yang. He could not help but feel elated that his friend could make it. Esmerelda was barely visible behind her date as they danced and Olivia was laughing with Ray near one of the tables. He saw Jaune and Pyrrha dancing in the back, they were probably the most skilled couple there; each move was precise without any wasted movement, their eyes never leaving one another's.

"It's nice to be up here isn't it?" Cinder asked him as she glanced down at the dance floor. "To be above the rest…above the hustle and bustle?"

 _Well…being above them in general, as we both deserve._

"Of course, it's quite a view," Horatio replied, oblivious to Cinder's true meaning. He was contemplating whether to have Sun and Roland dancing together in the portrait…he decided against it in favor of trying to capture the exact moment they switched partners. Self-contained moments of beauty like that were happening all over the ballroom. He hoped he could catch them all. "But it's lonely if you spend too much time above the rest…even if you have…magnificent company." He glanced away from the portrait to give her a smile and wink.

Cinder returned the smile and took a sip of punch, secretly wishing it was something with kick.

"I'm sorry if this isn't as exciting as you'd hoped," Horatio apologized. "I'll be at a good stopping point shortly."

"Take your time," Cinder genuinely replied, she had little interest in the dance below as the real prize was right before her. "Your company is all I need."

Horatio blushed as he continued focusing on the painting.

 _I should include us on the dance floor…I'm sure I can find an open space or two…_

The tempo for the next song started, silent and slow consisting of a violin and drum set along with a tambourine but with a unique tone. Horatio perked his ears up, suddenly dropping his pencils as a wave of realization swept over him.

"Dance with me," he held out his hand to Cinder who stared at it blankly.

"I…thought you said you weren't the best dancer?" she pointed out, acting like he was leading her into some kind of trap. Horatio had admitted he barely knew how to dance…she had assured him that was not why she went with him and that they could wait for a simple tune once his portrait was far enough along if he insisted.

"I'm not…but I know this song!" Horatio proclaimed. "I don't know where…but please, I will do my best not to break any toes."

Cinder allowed the vestiges of a smirk to crawl across her face as she finished the last of her punch, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. With endearing enthusiasm he led her down the winding staircase to the dance floor below.

She recognized the tune as well, "Waltz to a Shattered Moon," it was called, an old song. In the past it was usually reserved for noblemen and women…images of a foolish little girl stumbling over her own feet trying to learn it flashed in her mind.

 _Why would he know this song of all things?_

Horatio took her right hand with his left, placing his right tenderly on her waist; she brought her left up to rest on his shoulder. His movements were clumsy at first; Cinder had to restrain herself to not take the lead and pull ahead of him. They swayed back and forth until the tempo changed; Cinder knew next they would need to…

Before she could think it, Horatio pulled back but kept ahold of her left hand, his confidence and movements suddenly refined. The two sashayed in opposite directions with a dip and back with the beats. After each dip he would twirl Cinder who ducked beneath his arm before performing the routine again.

 _He DOES know this song…_

The dance was getting more complicated; many of the couples had departed the dance floor being unfamiliar with it to watch those that were, only a handful remained.

After the latest rotation of dips they parted, encircling with their backs to one other occasionally turning to press the palms of their right hands together for a moment, curtsying to one another before parting and repeating the gesture with the left. Horatio was smiling, his breath ragged as he struggled to perform the moves with the tune he somehow knew but had never done.

After the final spin they turned towards each other, Horatio taking Cinder's hand in his. With a tug he spun her in close, pushing her away again off her back with a soft touch. She spun away but quickly returned to him, they repeated this once more until the final notes signaled the song's conclusion. The two of them had gotten the timing perfect, ending close once again in the same position they had started, faces mere hair breadths from each other.

"I'm sorry," Horatio gasped as he caught his breath. The crowd cheered as they were apparently the last couple remaining on the dance floor, even Jaune and Pyrrha had retired to watch. Weiss seemed to have been familiar with the song; alas Neptune's lack of skill forced them to withdraw as well. Both Cinder and Horatio were panting from the dance, Jaune wasn't kidding…dancing can be just as demanding as combat. "I know I've seen that before…I just don't know wh…"

Cinder silenced him with a kiss, gripping the sides of his face firmly as if to prevent him from escaping…not that he was even considering it. He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her as they stood there on the dance floor. The cheers and applauds continued, Yang putting her fingers in her mouth and letting loose high pitched whistles of approval. Roland smiled as he applauded them as best he could by softly patting his shoulder with his good hand. Olivia took the opportunity to take as many pictures as she could, Esmerelda shaking her head with a smile alongside Yatsuhashi. Mercury was the only one hanging back, rolling his eyes as he took a deep sip of punch.

"There are too many eyes," Cinder whispered. "How about we retire to the terrace next time we have a chance to escape?"

Horatio looked into her eyes, a hint of the smile he had drawn her with in the team portrait appearing on her face…though just a hint. He had no doubt in his mind he would include this in the finished portrait for Professor Ozpin.

"I could think of nothing better, though I'll need to stop by the punch bowl first...mouth is a little dry," he replied, clearing his throat while attempting to maintain his composure. She laid her head on his chest in preparation for the next song. The other students had already returned to the floor as the dance continued.

 **Across the Room…**

"I had no idea Mr. Soplar was so gifted," Ms. Goodwitch mentioned to Professor Ozpin, both having just finished watching their dance.

"Indeed, especially at that…particular routine."

"I haven't heard that song in years; it was a good choice to bring it back sir, though they could have restrained themselves towards the end."

Ozpin only nodded, taking a sip from his mug. For the evening he had forgone coffee and hot chocolate for some punch from the bowl.

Glynda felt fingers tap her shoulder, turning around she saw it was General Ironwood extending his hand for a dance. With a smile she bowed politely to Ozpin in farewell before accepting it, walking out onto the dance floor with the other students.

"You look…captivating this evening," Ironwood complimented despite the fact she was wearing the same attire she always did as she was a chaperone.

"You as well James," she replied, the two swaying expertly with the latest upbeat song. She looked him over as they danced; he still had his Atlas Uniform on, though with how well he pulled it off it was unlikely he needed anything else in his wardrobe.

"I...thought about staying in Vale for the duration of the festival," Ironwood started, sounding like he was briefing a mission rather than talking with an old flame.

"To ensure no further…unforeseen difficulties occur?"

"That…among other things," he smiled at her, it was like he was a young man at the academy.

"We've tried this before James…" Glynda started. "How many times are we going to try only to drift apart again?"

"Only until we find a way to make it work," Ironwood replied, pulling her in closer to him, his face noticeably closer to hers.

"General Ironwood!" The shout broke their trance. Esmerelda and Yatsuhashi were dancing beside them. Ironwood remembered her from the Bullhead during the mission. "I am glad to see you could make it sir. I am a huge fan of your work."

"Is that so?" Ironwood asked, throwing a smirking glance towards Glynda.

 _Still loves to show off deep down…_

"And I had to say we owe you for that mission sir. I doubt we could have made it without the Galinda's firepower."

"The…what?" Glynda Goodwitch asked, turning towards the General who seemed to be perspiring more than usual.

"Yes ma'am," Esmerelda explained, the two couples still dancing around one another. "That's the name of General Ironwood's command ship…a beautiful vessel. I would love to serve on one someday." With that final word and a smile Yatsuhashi and Esmerelda pulled away, swinging around as the beat increased.

"You named…your command ship…..the Galinda?" Glynda asked silently, remembering a certain nickname she had been given during her academy days. Her grip on General Ironwood's hand and shoulder tightened considerably.

"Um…I can explain?" Ironwood sheepishly muttered fully aware he could not.

 **By the Punch Bowl…**

"To the socially awkward," Ruby announced as she clinked glasses with Mercury, still impressed by Cinder and Horatio's display. "Sorry Emerald couldn't make it."

"Its fine," Mercury lied. "She insisted I still come even though she had to stay in bed, she just needs a good night's rest I'm sure."

Team JNPR was currently the center of attention. With little warning all four of them had broken out into an upbeat dance number. They were the only ones on the dance floor as the room cheered around them.

 _There is no way they didn't practice for weeks on that,_ Ruby chuckled in her head.

Horatio stumbled over to the bowl, breath still ragged after having danced with Cinder; he had not been nearly as graceful in the subsequent songs as she'd clearly taken the lead. Pouring a glass he drank it all in a few quick gulps. Cinder could be seen ascending the spiral staircase back up to the terrace gracefully in the distance.

"If you'll excuse me," Mercury bowed politely and took his leave.

"I didn't know you could dance!"

"Neither did I," Horatio laughed. "I've never danced like that…EVER…I don't know what came over me." He suddenly noticed Ruby had not budged from the table since arriving. "No dancing for you tonight?"

"Um…" Ruby grimaced. "I'm not much of a fancy pansy…dancy girl."

"Well you cannot spend your entire life on the battlefield….as much as you may want to." The two turned not having noticed that Professor Ozpin was sharing their space beside the punch bowl.

"Yea, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately," Ruby admitted, remembering the various conversations she'd had with Yang.

"If you think about it," Ozpin continued, speaking to both Ruby and Horatio. "Fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although…one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot," he added with a chuckle.

Horatio visibly blushed, remembering his "interlocking" dance with Cinder.

"Or a twisted ankle," Ruby put forward while glancing down at her own feet again.

"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds." The Headmaster glanced in Ms. Goodwitch and Ironwood's direction, a heartfelt smile forming as he saw they were still dancing. Though Glynda's grip on the General appeared to be rather tight and he seemed more than a little terrified.

Horatio and Ruby glanced at each other solemnly. They had not spoken as much as either would have liked but the thought that they wouldn't keep in touch with each other or their many friends left them feeling…glum.

"But its nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever…nights like these are ones we'll never forget…especially after that performance Mr. Soplar."

Horatio chuckled awkwardly; he did not feel he deserved the praise. "Please don't mention it Professor. I must have been possessed or something. I swear I have never danced in my life much less that well. It was all the music."

"O?" Ruby and Ozpin asked simultaneously.

"It just…seemed familiar…" was all he said before taking another sip of punch.

"A Family tradition perhaps?" Ozpin asked, glancing at Horatio as he pretended to be more interested in watching Team JNPR's dance.

"Wish I knew," he replied, the joy of the evening seeming to lessen past sorrows. "Most of what I remember of my dad is what my mom told me before she passed. I don't recall any dance lessons from either."

 _Well you would have been quite young…_

"Your mother, Mariemaia Soplar?" Ozpin asked, remembering the name in his file.

"That's right sir," his attention suddenly shifted to Ruby. "I am sure Cinder would not mind if we shared a single dance," he offered. "The next one sounds slow, not much movement required…seems a shame to come to a dance without at least trying one."

"I…uh… it was actually Yang and Weiss'…ok," Ruby accepted with a stutter. Taking Horatio's hand the two made their way out to the dance floor. Team JNPR's impressive display had ended and the remaining students had ventured back out.

 _Scarlet eyes…just like hers,_ Ozpin mused. _He knew the song routine and he is Hattori's son…there can be no doubt. If only she hadn't run. Silver Eyes AND the Guardian in the same class…ominous signs indeed…_

It was a situation of the blind leading the blind, between Ruby's unsteady steps and Horatio's clumsy footwork it was a wonder the two remained standing. Fortunately they had been correct and the song required little skill to sway to, they gripped each other tightly as much for support as to actually dance.

Ruby giggled, this wasn't as bad as she feared, looking out into the crowd her smile widened as she spotted Penny. She was elated to see her having fun despite everything. When she had run into Penny at the CCT Tower the girl had shared her greatest secret…she wasn't 'real.' Despite her aura, kindness, and everything else…she was a robot made in the likeness of a real girl.

Ruby didn't believe a word of her being 'not real'…robot or no she was a person…she was her friend.

"See, Professor Ozpin is right…even Penny can live off the battlefield." Horatio still remembered her impressive display in Merlot's Lab.

To Ruby's shock…Penny was dancing with a boy, her movements were a little rigid but she was dancing nonetheless. Ruby scrunched her face trying to remember where she'd seen him before.

"Bolt!" Ruby blurted out, recognizing the pilot who had ferried the others on their excursions to Forever Fall. She barely realized it was him without his helmet…who knew it came off?

The young man apparently had long blonde tied into a single foxtail in the back and stood a little taller than Penny, his eyes were a deep orange. He looked quite happy not accounting for the sweat forming on his brow…no doubt a combination of dancing with a pretty girl coupled with the terrifying glances he was getting from the two armored Atlas guardsman who escorted Penny wherever she went.

"Ah yes," Horatio confirmed as they swayed. "Cameron, I think, call sign 'Bolt.' We got to talk a bit on the way back; apparently he is a student here though focusing more on pilot skills over being a Huntsman."

Ruby nodded slightly before snapping her head in Horatio's direction, a look of utter confusion on her face.

"We have a piloting curriculum here?"

 **Cross Continental Transit Tower…**

Emerald surveyed the tower entrance; too easy…they had only a single guard. Looking in her direction the guard ran forward…right past her.

"You there stop!" he shouted, chasing a shadow Emerald had let him see...more than enough time for her to get inside before he came back. She continued into the front door, ahead would be the main lobby where an elevator could take her up the rest of the way.

 _You've gotta be kidding me!_

Ironwood must have beefed up security; according to their last estimates only two guardsmen would be patrolling the main floor tonight…four were currently pacing in rotating teams. Emerald was lucky if she could fool two people at the same time…she had no chance with four.

Of course she didn't need to fool all four of them…not at once anyway.

"How did that get in here?" One of the guards shouted, seeing a Beowolf suddenly standing alongside the other patrolling team. Drawing his rifle he fired a volley…right into the back of a fellow Atlas soldier.

The guard's partner turned, shocked at the sudden friendly fire. Using the butt of his rifle he disarmed his friend and started wrestling him to the ground.

The other guard was down and no longer moving, his own partner checking his injuries. The Atlas armor prevented penetration but the force of the bullets had still knocked him out, he may have a concussion.

"Why did you do that?" he shouted, failing to notice Emerald slip behind him, with a single blow to the back of the head he slumped alongside the first.

"It was a Grimm!" the shooter cried, from the ground he and his partner failed to notice the sudden silence from the others. "I saw it right there!"

"There wasn't anything there, it was just Chase! What were you think…?" the man holding him down demanded before he too suddenly collapsed.

The poor lad lying on the ground looked up; looming over him was the largest Beowolf he had ever seen. He scrambled for his weapon across the floor but didn't get a chance before the beast's leg lifted, coming down hard on his head.

Too Easy.

Emerald smirked as she pulled her leg back; he wouldn't be getting up for a while. With no remaining resistance she made for the elevator…the only way to the top of the tower.

"Hey, do you know the WiFi password?"

Emerald froze; the voice was coming from inside the elevator that had just reached the ground floor.

"Yea its Beacon…but replace the "e" with a "3" and add a pound sign to the end."

Emerald made sure to take a mental note for later as she leapt into the air. The elevator door opened with a buzz, revealing two additional Atlas soldiers chuckling with one another clearly unprepared for combat. Their eyes went wide as they spotted the bodies of the patrol teams sprawled around the lobby.

They rushed out of the elevator unaware that Emerald had taken up a position above the door. The moment they exited she dropped down, slamming both of their heads together before pushing them to the ground, neither one moved.

With a nonchalant flip she entered the elevator, the door sealing behind her, it really was too easy.

 _Free Wi-Fi…this will make the time waiting in the room more bearable._

 **At the Dance…**

General Ironwood fixed his collar as he stood at the entrance to the party. He was amazed he had escaped with his life intact, another few minutes and he surely would have lost circulation in his remaining hand from Glynda's steel grip. She had disappeared into the party with a huff after the end of their dance.

"Are you alright sir?" Penny asked from behind having noticed his discomfort.

"O I am fine Penny," he replied with a warm smile. As he turned he realized she was not alone. The exceptional pilot from the Merlot mission was with her. "Mr. Hunter, a pleasure to see you again."

"A-and you as well sir," he stuttered, clearly nervous about speaking with the General.

"Are you two enjoying your evening?"

"O yes sir!" Penny blurted without restraint. "We had our first rhythmic dance, some of the non-violent punch and Mr. Hunter…I mean Cam told me I was the most beautiful girl here!"

The young man's face ignited red as steam began to billow from his ears in embarrassment.

General Ironwood let out a soft chuckle, he knew full well what Penny was, he had overseen her creation of course…nevertheless he saw her as the daughter he'd dreamed of…but never found time for.

 _I suppose that makes Mr. Hunter the first boyfriend I need to give a hard time._

A silent beeping sound from his pocket broke his concentration. It was an early warning alarm he had connected to his scroll in the CCT Tower; if anyone went beyond a certain floor without an appointment he would be notified.

"I apologize but I must take this," he bowed politely to them both.

"May I help sir?" Penny asked, stepping forward and inadvertently dragging her date along by their linked arms.

 _As an Atlas soldier, yes…but as a young woman…_

"Nothing you need to worry about," Ironwood decided. "You two enjoy yourselves, I will be right back." Penny waved farewell as the General left the dance, unfortunately drawing unwanted attention.

"Ironwood is leaving the dance," Mercury whispered over his earpiece. "Hurry up and get out of there!"

 **Cross Continental Transit Tower…**

Emerald had only just reached the top of the tower by the time she received Mercury's warning. She would have to act fast. Speeding up to a power walk she took a seat at the central computer around which all the smaller monitors were built.

She didn't have the expertise in Atlas technology that Cinder did, fortunately she had been kind enough to supply an unmarked scroll that would do all the work. As soon as she had the main computer booted up she inserted it into a nearby port…no login required. So long as the countermeasures hadn't been improved since their friends last checked it should only take a few minutes to complete.

 _Though Ironwood is on his way…it was not a far walk from the dance…but he'll just be one man. As long as he came alone she could handle him._

 **General Ironwood…**

Ironwood drew his pistol, the first soldier out front reported he had spotted someone lurking around but that they had fled…clearly it was a diversion as all six of his hand-picked officers had been found unconscious inside. Commanding the remaining soldier to follow Ironwood had taken the elevator, the two of them ready for whatever awaited at the top.

The door slid open with a chime; both Ironwood and his backup immediately aimed their weapons inside…there was no one. Motioning with his head Ironwood ordered the soldier to check left while he went right. All of the monitors had been activated yet still showed the startup screen, bathing the room in a dim pale green light.

"Come out and I will show leniency," Ironwood commanded.

Ironwood scanned his side of the room, coming up empty until a loud thud drew his attention. He immediately aimed his pistol in the direction, the last guard who had come with him was lying unconscious on the ground and standing over him was…

"Glynda?" Ironwood asked, lowering his pistol in confusion. Glynda Goodwitch was looking over the young man; he was still breathing and clearly just knocked out.

"My apologies, I left the dance early and came here to check on a ruckus one of the students had seen," she explained. "Your man startled me and I mistook him for whoever had attacked the tower."

Ironwood couldn't believe it; she should have called him as soon as she heard there was a problem. They'd been together only a few minutes earlier for goodness sake.

"Any sign of who did this?"

"None, it doesn't appear anything was stolen and the computers are still locked out."

"At least none of my men were killed," Ironwood sighed. Let's locate any clues and catch this intruder."

"Of course Ironwood sir," Glynda reported, starting to look around the room.

Ironwood froze…her reply sending a chill down his back coupled with the realization he had only received a single warning alarm...not two. Slowly he raised his pistol and aimed it squarely at her.

"What…what are you doing sir?" Glynda asked, taking a step backwards and raising her hands defensively.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his voice becoming stern and serious.

"I said of course we can look for clues…"

"No, you called me Ironwood…who are you?"

In the decades he had known Glynda…through all their ups and downs, good times and bad, victories and tragedies…not once had she ever just called him by his last name…especially not while they were alone…

"Who…are you?" he asked again, cocking back the pistol hammer threateningly and tightening his grip on the trigger. The false Glynda took a step back, eliciting Ironwood to step forward, cornering her against the window.

"Who knew you two had THAT kind of relationship?" she teased her face twisting into a maniacal grin before lunging straight at the General.

Ironwood did not hesitate; pulling the trigger and sending a bullet clean through her chest. The fake Glynda shimmered out of existence, his slug shattering the window behind her. Ironwood turned, noticing the elevator door closing, starting its descent back down below.

 _A distraction?_ Ironwood cursed, how did he not watch the door? But they were caught now; pulling out his scroll he accessed the security system, stopping the elevator before it even got halfway down. With the push of a button he had stopped the compartment in its tracks and commanded it to return to the top floor.

Ironwood planted himself in front of the door, pistol aimed squarely at them; as soon as it opened he would see who he was dealing with. The door opened at last with that annoying chime…completely empty.

Ironwood dashed inside, looking everywhere…the inside hatch was still sealed; they couldn't have escaped that way…

"Where are you?" he found himself shouting, his frustration at a breaking point.

Outside the shattered window Emerald smiled in satisfaction at his shout, having retrieved her scroll after it was done she had climbed out the very exit so kindly provided for her. With her expert movements she would be on the ground in a matter of minutes, after that she'd slink her way back to her dorm and feign her debilitating injury that had prevented attendance to the dance. Cinder could check the virus' connection tomorrow morning.

 _And Mercury was worried…_

 **Second Floor Terrace…**

Horatio caught up with Cinder standing out on the terrace overlooking the grounds, a punch glass in each of his hands. Somehow he and Ruby had both survived their dance together with only a single squished toe, he did his best to hide the discomfort with each step.

Cinder was alone as the rest of the students were inside either dancing or relaxing at one of the tables. With the somewhat chilly night air the terrace was deserted though Cinder did not seem to mind it.

"Thought you might be thirsty," he offered the second glass, setting it down on the ledge in front of her and took a sip of his own.

Cinder looked quite content, when the night had started she seemed apprehensive and uncertain for some reason, he had done his best to help her feel at ease but now she looked calm. She thanked him for the glass though didn't go to drink from it just yet. Horatio leaned over the ledge beside her; the school really did look beautiful at night. From one of the clocks below he could see it was just a few minutes to midnight.

"I swear this night is going too fast," he said at length hoping to break the silence. "It was perfect, if only it could just keep going like this."

 _It WAS perfect, Emerald was successful and our package is firmly in place with none the wiser…and you…_

"Need more time to finish your work?"

"It can wait," he assured her. He had completed the rough work of everyone he would include; the rest could be finished without difficulty later from memory. "Even if I could complete it in an instant I would not want this moment to end…like the first time I saw you at the docks."

 _He never does have a shortage of kind words…I shouldn't be looking forward to them. They are pointless and empty._

"You're sweet," she whispered, laying a hand on his cheek.

"I guess what I'm saying," he continued, placing his hand over hers. "That question you asked me while we were stuck in that container…I wanted to say…yes, I do feel about you that way about you. When I was hanging out of that airship clinging to your hand, everything just clicked for me. I can think of no one else I would have rather shared my first kiss with. I only wish you could stay at Beacon longer."

Cinder's stare suddenly flattened for a moment before she regained her composure.

 _I was his first?_ She hadn't planned to kiss him like that on the dance floor; something had just come over her. It certainly wasn't necessary to strengthen his feelings for her and would in no way help to uncover his semblance's secret. _So why did I do it?_

"The Vytal Festival doesn't start for a week. After that the festivities go all semester…we have time." Despite her confusion, for now she stuck to her role…that at least she knew.

"I suppose," Horatio muttered. "Not nearly enough…"

"I'm here now," Cinder pulled him closer until their faces were about to touch. "I'm not going anywhere."

The look she was giving him…the bright shimmer of her amber eyes, Horatio could not contain himself; he pulled her into another kiss as the clock chimed midnight. This one was more subdued and gentle than the passionate spur of the moment on the dance floor reflecting the personality of the one who initiated it.

"Neither am I," he assured her with unwavering determination as they parted. "I'm here for you…whenever you need me."

 _As it should be._

They stared out into the night sky, Cinder resting her head on his shoulder. She had her knight…but was it in the way she intended?

 **The dance draws to a close, mischief and mayhem accomplished as our heroes enjoyed their revelries. Read and Review, but most of all enjoy :)**


	19. Over the Mountain and Through the Glenn

**The first Huntsman missions for new students have begun; Team RWBY heads out into an uncertain terrain to seek Roman and the White Fang. A big thank you to everyone reviewing and enjoying this tale. :)**

"They were here Ozpin…they were here! I saw them!" Ironwood insisted again. He had called for a meeting after the incident the previous night.

"But who was it?" Glynda asked, clearly frustrated with Ironwood's lack of information. "You claimed you saw me but it wasn't me?"

"Yes! Whoever it was had the perfect disguise…projection, I don't know but they were you down to every detail. If they hadn't dropped my last name I never would have realized it."

"But how is that possible? Was it a semblance? Some form of disguise?"

"I don't know!" Ironwood threw his arms up in the air. "Does it really matter? Are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?"

Ozpin was holding his head in his hands, despite how well the two seemed to be getting along the last few days it clearly had no effect when the situation turned serious. Who was the intruder? How did they get into Beacon? Why wasn't anything stolen or tampered with? Most importantly…what was their end goal?

"We cannot start a panic," Ozpin reminded him, visions of what kind of Grimm swarm would be attracted to that level of negative emotions rattled in his head.

"Then we do a sweep of the school under the cover of random checks by my troops for the upcoming festival. We check everyone who wasn't at the dance that night and ensure their alibis check out."

"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado?" Glynda threw at him, clearly frustrated with his tactics. "You treat EVERY situation like it's a contest of measuring di-"

"Glynda!" Ozpin interrupted before she said anything inappropriate.

"Well he does," she muttered under her breath.

"That 'display of military bravado' saved your student's lives on Merlot's island," Ironwood pointed out, eliciting a scowl from her.

"She is right James," Ozpin acquiesced, turning towards Ironwood. "As much as I would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Beacon….beyond Vale. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move…we must not be so bold lest we walk right into their hands.

Ironwood turned from the window overlooking the school, grimly facing Ozpin.

"I have served you faithfully for years," he started, remembering all the times Ozpin had been there for him like a teacher, a father…a friend. "But if you mean to tell me that your plan is to simply hold the defenses and wait…"

"It's not!" Ozpin snapped, jumping to his feet and pointing at Ironwood. "But you're a General James…so tell me when you prepare to go to war who do you send in first? The flag-bearers….or the scouts?"

Ironwood fumed. "A trump card waiting in the wings would be more preferable. Have you spoken with Mr. Soplar or Ms. Nikos yet?"

"I had a brief discussion with Mr. Soplar at the dance," Ozpin confirmed. "I feel there is no longer any doubt that he is Magnolia's son…which would have made Hattori…"

"Why didn't she ever tell us she got married…or had a child?" Glynda asked, remembering the woman they had met several times at Haven Academy years ago.

"She disliked the training…did everything in her power to keep her personal life as far from us as possible."

"To think he was in our very midst all those years and we didn't see it. When will Mr. Soplar be joining us?"

"I did not bring up this topic with him…the evening was for him to be enjoying himself not planning his future."

"You cannot keep coddling them forever Oz. The other students have some time but even they may not be able to wait for graduation. Mr. Soplar however, if he is the new Guardian then we must act now."

Ozpin removed his glasses; massaging the bridge of his nose wearily…he did not want this but James was right in his own way. "I will bring him here after the Vytal Festival…let him enjoy that at least."

Ironwood tightened his fist a moment before relaxing, nodding his head in agreement. That would have to suffice. "And Ms. Nikos? She is the best candidate."

"I will bring them BOTH here at that time….you have my word." Ozpin replied, turning to look out the window again. "I wish Qrow were here…he knew Hattori best of all of us…"

 **Beacon Dormitories…**

Roland flexed his left arm, testing the capacity of his 'healing aid' courtesy of General Ironwood and his medical staff. The recovery wing had replaced his bulky cast with what looked like a metallic sleeve filled with liquid sealed at his wrist and shoulder. It allowed much greater field of movement and would continue to aid in the healing of his arm. Their hope was he wouldn't even need to wear it 48 hours to be back to ship shape.

"Ok, you win," he admitted to Olivia. "Atlas tech. is best tech."

Team HERO was walking together off to visit Team RWBY before the selection ceremony for their first official training mission. Their excursions to Forever Fall, Mountain Glenn and Merlot's Island were being counted towards their class credits and Teams HERO, JNPR and CRMS had been exempted from the first year mission shadowing experienced Huntsman. Olivia also refused to let the team split up again since that day, insisting everything is done together now.

Approaching their door they noticed a small tube lying in front listed for delivery to team RWBY. Esmerelda scooped it up and knocked, Blake answered the door, smiling as she saw who it was.

"Come on in."

"How's it going?" Olivia greeted on the team's behalf. None of them could come close to her enthusiasm.

Team RWBY's room was as chaotic as ever, thankfully Horatio was getting used to the twitch he had developed in his left eye each time he entered. They had the Portrait done by him of the three teams standing by the fountain framed sitting on a desk nearby. An identical copy also adorned HERO's and JNPR's room as well with another given to Velvet as a thank you.

"I think this is for you," Esmerelda handed the tube off to Yang who looked it over curiously.

"Hey Ruby," she held up the tube in the air. "Looks like dad sent us something."

Ruby gasped like she had just been told Crescent Rose was getting an upgrade. "Something from home!" In a flash she was behind Yang, eagerly clawing to see what was inside. Yang shook the package, causing a furry black tube the same shape as the container to pop onto the ground with a thud.

Everyone present leaned in closer, analyzing the strange object that had fallen from the container…then it twitched. The item stirred several more times before suddenly jumping into the air and expanding outward…revealing a black and white corgi. The 'tube' object had been a condensed dog…everyone leapt back in surprise save Yang and Ruby who were ecstatic and Blake who looked terrified.

"Zwei!" Ruby shouted with a cheer, scooping the dog up in her arms as it proceeded to lick her face.

"He sent a dog?" Blake asked exasperated.

"In the mail?" Weiss added, equally perplexed.

"Your entire family is focused on crushing my expectations of normalcy aren't they?" Horatio asked as he felt the twitch coming back.

"O he does stuff like this all the time," Yang replied with an aloof attitude, clearly this was nothing new.

"Your dad or your dog?" Blake asked for clarification that never came.

"He's adorable! Aren't you? YES YOU ARE!" Olivia shouted, leaning in to pet his ears enthusiastically, eliciting a lick to her cheek.

"He reminds me of my dog Elf," Roland laughed, remembering the family pet who had helped him fend off Beowolf attacks many times. "Maybe I should visit home sometime to see her…"

Other than Blake who was perched atop a bunk bed staring down none seemed immune to the newcomer pooch's charm, even Esmerelda and Horatio had come closer to scratch Zwei behind the ears. At least…until Weiss approached and stared him down, her face focused and serious.

"Are you telling me…" she started, Zwei turning to look at her, his eyes impossibly large. "That this mangy…drooling…mutt is going to WIVE WITH US FOREVAH oh yes he is…yes he is!" Weiss' scowl had broken down and she was petting Zwei's face with both hands while continuing her string of barely intelligible dialogue.

"That dog is good," Esmerelda whispered to a nodding Roland. "He broke her resolve in less than a single sentence."

"Such is the power of man's best friend."

"Please keep it away from my belongings," Blake interrupted dryly as Weiss continued to shower Zwei with affection. She was still hiding up in the bunk.

A chime over the school intercom interrupted them as Ms. Goodwitch's voice broadcasted for all to hear. "Will all first year students please report to the amphitheater?"

"What will you do?" Horatio asked, scratching Zwei's belly. "You can't leave him here alone for a week."

"Well dad did send this letter," Yang announced as she started to read. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need, love you both, Taiyang." Yang shook the container again causing a landslide, cans of dog food poured from the tube and buried Zwei beneath them. Roland was certain the container was too small to have held so much.

"What is he supposed to do with these?" Weiss asked.

In response a can opener plopped out, bouncing off Zwei's head to the ground.

Roland could take no more of the insanity…even if the dog could use a can-opener…which he was doubting less and less with each passing second, he would be lonely for the week they are gone.

"We could…watch him for you," he offered. "We'll be on campus today and heading to Vale tomorrow and the next few days. We could feed him, walk him and make sure he gets enough exercise."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, Zwei looking at her with his huge expecting eyes. "He can be quite a handful."

Roland shrugged off her concern. "Elf was a member of the Labrador Lancer Corp. for five years…if holding her still for her nail trims didn't kill or drive me to insanity nothing will.

"I'm ok with it if you are sis," Yang advised. "He can hang out in our room until after the ceremony then move into theirs tonight.

"Are you ok with that boy?" Ruby asked Zwei. He only responded with a single bark, his tail wagging furiously.

"We'll have so much fun yes we will! YES WE WILL!" Olivia gushed, nearly matching Weiss.

"That settles that, Zwei will be here when we get back, come on!" Yang led the way out of the dorm to the amphitheater. Blake bounded after her ensuring she avoided Zwei, everyone else made sure to give him an extra scratch or pet on the head before leaving.

 _It's so hard being you isn't it?_ Esmerelda could only laugh.

 **Amphitheater…**

The Amphitheater was filled to capacity, from the look of it every first year student from all four nations had gathered. With the Vytal Festival having drawn the best Huntsman and Huntresses in training from all over the world they had combined the first training mission assembly for every school into one. Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch were on stage together.

Horatio looked over the crowd, each school had their own seating arrangements; one for Vale, Mistral, Vacuo and Atlas. Locking eyes onto the Mistral students he spotted Cinder and her team, raising his hand he gave a vibrant wave.

Cinder spotted him in the crowd, returning the gesture with a subtle smile and wave of her own.

"Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." The Headmaster stood up straight as he approached the microphone. "Today, we stand together united; Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale…the four kingdoms of Remnant.

Esmerelda stood up as tall as she could in respect, giving Roland and Olivia a pat on the back to ensure they did the same.

"On this day," he continued. "Nearly 80 years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression, a war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom. But about the very idea of individualism itself."

Horatio nodded along with Professor Ozpin's words as he continued. He had studied the Great War many times. How anyone could think that removing art and self-expression itself would ever be a good idea was beyond him. Some scholars theorized the rationale behind it was to limit the negative emotions associated with some works of art to 'protect' us from the Grimm.

 _That type of thinking isn't even human…_

"We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity." Ozpin had nearly finished his speech. "As I have said, today we stand together, united, but this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, as the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsman and Huntresses will fight to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. As a result, some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days while others may work within the walls for the next week. But no matter what path you choose…remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."

With that final word Professor Ozpin turned to leave the stage, a round of applause starting with the Beacon students and eventually spreading to the rest of the hall. The various teams began approaching the consoles in front of them, each selecting the mission they would like to shadow.

"This is perfect," Ruby cheered. "All we need to do is shadow a huntsman in the southeast of Vale!"

Olivia leaned close to Horatio. "Roman mentioned at the rally that they were moving southeast." Horatio just nodded, still feeling more than a little sore they had raided the warehouse without him.

"Yea! We'll follow them by day and give them the slip at night!" Yang agreed.

"Let's check 'Search and Destroy,' Weiss offered, thinking of what kind of missions would lead that far from Beacon.

"Going to spend the day with Ms. Fall?" Olivia asked their leader teasingly as team RWBY pushed through the crowd to acquire their mission. She noticed that Team CRMS had left as soon as Ozpin concluded his speech.

"Not today," he smiled back. "Apparently they have some Haven extracurricular project of some sort. "But worry not, for I shall see yonder fair maiden once more on the morrow's eve upon thy streets of fair Vale!" His accent and speech were incredibly over the top as he raised his hands dramatically.

Olivia burst into laughter, it was too much.

"Forget history and art…you should try out for one of the Vytal Festival plays."

 **CRMS Dormitory**

"So a whole week off?" Emerald confirmed, plopping down on her bed. "Got any plans?"

"No…and that's the worst part," Mercury groaned. "I….HATE…waiting. At least Neo gets to help Torchwick with the next phase." Mercury grimaced, when the week long break had been announced she had practically been out the door. From the look on her face she was probably worried Torchwick would fall apart without her…which may not have been totally inaccurate.

Emerald glanced to the side, looking at the wrapped portrait they had received during the dance. To her shock Cinder had yet to take a look at it…what was she waiting for?

"What…if Horatio asks about it?" She muttered timidly, worried for Cinder's reaction.

Cinder paused, setting her scroll down as if she were greatly considering her response. She had been shifting through the information they had gleamed from the updated database. With the virus set up in place by Emerald they had full access and control of the computers being used for the Vytal Festival and any that interfaced with them.

"Do you want to see it so badly?" she asked without turning around.

"Um…maybe?" Emerald smiled awkwardly.

"Then open it."

"A-are you sure?"

Cinder nodded.

Mercury was the one to take the initiative, scooping up the painting in an instant. He had clearly been curious despite his protests to the contrary. With a single strong pull he removed the cord, allowing the wrapping to flutter to the ground.

"Woah…" were his only words as he looked at it slack jawed.

Emerald popped over his shoulder and looked herself.

"Woah…"

"Well…" Cinder asked, still acting uninterested. "What is it?" She looked over her shoulder seeking an answer after a moment of silence; Mercury had turned the painting around allowing her to see it herself.

Cinder stood in the center of the portrait flanked on either side by the cliffs near the school, the open water in the distance behind her. She was in the position she had posed with her back facing the painting, her head turned just enough to see all the details of her face. Even Mercury had to admit in the style used…she was breathtaking. Horatio had even gone so far as to include the gusts of wind that had blown past while she had stood there lifting her hair and dress towards the left of the canvas. Few artists could include nature so well into the piece; they could almost smell the sea breeze.

No detail was missed, her tattoo was prominently displayed, the coloration was perfect and the presence of the sun behind her during the golden hour only exemplified the details with the shimmer effect it had elicited from the dust catalysts in her red dress.

Then there was Cinder's face, the true source of Mercury and Emerald's reactions. If Cinder felt she had never worn the smile he had drawn on their team portrait then this one belonged to an entirely different woman. Cinder was certain that while she posed she had done her best to look upon Horatio with a restrained wanting, a ploy to draw him in even further. The look on her face, however, was one of utter joy and contentment. She looked like the women in the fairy tales who had gained everything they ever wanted and attained their happy ending. Her eyes wanted for nothing.

Cinder stared for a moment before turning and exiting their dorm room, slamming the door behind her without a word.

"Cinder…" Emerald muttered as she left.

"I don't remember her looking like THAT at her sessions," Mercury pointed out tactlessly. "This kid must add omniscience to the list of his semblance abilities."

Emerald looked at him with a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I only ever saw Cinder smile like that once since coming to Beacon…for a split second while she was dancing with lover boy last night…"

Emerald scowled…who was this guy to have such an impact on their leader? She was determined more than ever to find out the extent of his character and commitment…

 **At the Airship dock…not long after…**

The various teams that would be starting their missions that day were departing Beacon. The port was alive with the bustle of packing, departures and farewells.

"Remember don't rely too much on just your strength," Velvet advised for probably the hundredth time. "There are some Grimm you can't overpower and you should keep mobile."

"Come on, don't worry so much," Cardin insisted. "We'll just be shadowing the sheriff of a small village. I am sure Grimm activity will be at a bare minimum…worst part will be the boredom being away from you."

Velvet visibly blushed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek requiring her to lift up onto her tippy toes as he stepped away towards the Bullhead.

Ruby and her team were not far, they had been successful in acquiring a mission located in Quadrant 5 Southeast of Vale. They would be clearing out Grimm numbers in that area. Apparently Ozpin knew a bit more than he let on and had allowed them to choose the mission with full knowledge they would be straying from the path despite the fact it had initially been restricted from first years participating.

"Now remember to feed him three times a day," Ruby continued, laying out the instructions to caring for Zwei. "He needs LOTS of exercise, even more love, no fewer than five to ten reminders that we 'wuv' him, not love, big difference." She had provided a list rolling open to the ground to Olivia who was looking it over with unnatural focus.

"Quadrant 5?" Esmerelda asked. "Isn't Mountain Glenn in Quadrant 5?"

"Yes," Horatio confirmed. He was thinking the same as her…that Team JNPR's battle underground coupled with the dismantling of Dr. Merlot's Island Grimm zoo had resulted in the higher numbers in that area that now required clearing out.

"Be careful," Roland stressed. "With any luck JNPR dealt with all of the mutated Grimm…but if you see ANY with a green cloud or crystals on their back keep your distance. I wish we could go with you," Ms. Goodwitch no doubt thought she was rewarding them for the Merlot incident by exempting them from the missions today but all he could think about was not being there to help. "Just…be careful."

"I'll still be reachable by scroll silly." Yang hugged him reassuringly, with her powerful arms he knew he had nothing to worry about.

"Make sure Ruby charges it," he replied with a laugh; remembering how often Yang had complained that she'd drained the batteries calling home.

"We'll be careful, don't' worry about us," Blake reassured. "After all we will have an experienced Huntsman with us."

"Who did you get?" Roland asked.

"I don't know, we were supposed to meet here…"

"Well hello there girls," a familiar voice called out behind them. The four turned, each registering a different look of shock or bewilderment at the man who stood before them. "Who is ready to fight for their lives?" Dr. Oobleck shouted with unsettling enthusiasm. He was dressed in a large overcoat and hat reminding them of a safari outing. Somehow he looked even more ridiculous than usual.

"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss asked.

"Doctor Oobleck," Horatio corrected with a whisper in her ear, remembering his insistence in Forever Fall.

"Doctor Oobleck," Weiss repeated.

"Right right very good," Oobleck agreed. "And I am afraid those bags will be quite unnecessary girls. Seeing as you've decided to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission." He paced back and forth as he spoke in a fashion similar to his classroom teleports. "I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations. Rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all of the essentials myself plotted the air course and readied the airship."

Team RWBY just stood there, unsure how to proceed or if he had even indeed finished speaking.

"Come now children!" He suddenly started again. "According to my schedule we are already three minutes behind…schedule!" In a flash he was gone, already at the airship and getting on board.

"Well….alright then!" Ruby started with her usual vigor. "Looks like we get to save the world with…Dr. Oobleck…ok yea when you say it out loud it sounds worse." Her enthusiasm killed before the sentences end.

"Save the world?" The familiar bubbly voice of Nora awoke them from their stupor. "You're going on world saving missions WITHOUT us?"

Team JNPR approached them from behind, having also been exempt from the current missions they had come to see their friends off.

"I'm hurt!" Nora continued dramatically, holding her hand over her brow as if to prevent fainting. "And sad…maybe a little hungry? That last one is not your fault though….REN!" She stared daggers at her teammate who only crossed his arms with a huff. Clearly there was more to the story.

"Sounds exciting," Jaune chuckled. "Though if you are going to be in Mountain Glenn…be more careful than I was." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, Pyrrha patted his back to reassure him he did nothing wrong. "It'll be nice having the week off."

"You're off tonight?" Came a familiar voice as Sun and Neptune found them by the docks. "Then you all can party at our room tonight! We're shadowing a Crime Specialist tomorrow…all inner city detective stuff."

"We get junior badges," Neptune added with a grin. "All very official."

Jaune awed at the mention of badges. Stars sparkled around him.

"We normally go to the city with you guys…which means stuff is always exploding and junk," Sun laughed, remembering both the dock and warehouse raids he had been present for. "So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's ya know…normal."

"Well uh…" Ruby started.

"FOUR MINUTES LADIES!" Oobleck shouted from the distance, still waiting in the airship.

"Well uh…wish us luck," she finished with an awkward smile. Giving a final wave Team RWBY rushed to the airship, not wanting to provide Oobleck another reason to shout.

"So…"Roland turned to Sun. "A party you say?"

Horatio chuckled as their teams started planning the party. Nothing fancy, just an evening to relax with friends. His gaze drifted over the airship dock and he could not help but smile. Despite the fact so many were leaving for missions…they were united…

 _Stay safe everyone…_

A glimmer of red and gold caught his attention; not far disappearing around a corner was Cinder. Why was she wearing her red dress?

"Be right back," he alerted Olivia with a pat on her shoulder. "Don't start the party without me." With that he rushed over to the building he had spotted her.

Olivia only nodded to acknowledge she'd heard him; she was massaging her temples as if in pain.

 _I thought she said she'd be in her dorm all day working._ Horatio thought as he jogged to the building, checking his scroll messages to ensure he hadn't received anything.

Horatio rounded the corner; it was a small path between the buildings. A few yards away were a set of cliffs overlooking the plains, the airship dock had been built on an elevated location for easier take-offs. Cinder stood at the end of the path, looking over them. The way she was standing, even the wind was blowing correctly, it reminded him of her portrait he'd done.

"Cinder!" He called out as he picked up the pace. She turned towards him; with the way she tilted her neck the pose and smile matched his portrait precisely. His heart skipped a beat as he saw her with that smile for real and not just in the painting, did she do that on purpose? "I thought you would be inside all day, I am glad to see…"

His eyes widened in horror as she took a single step forward…over the cliffside.

"CINDER!" Horatio screamed, pushing to his full speed as he dove towards her.

Somehow he was too slow and Cinder fell limply over the ledge, her eyes linking with his for a brief instant…she looked almost pleased that she was falling.

Horatio instantly dropped his overcoat jacket and dove over the side after her, it would just slow him down. Holding his arms at his side and legs tight together he turned himself into a projectile to fall as fast as he could. He caught up with her in a matter of seconds, without a word he wrapped her in his arms, the ground was approaching fast. Holding her close he stretched his legs so that they would impact first. She'd be safe then…he closed his eyes tight.

"HOLD ON!"

They slammed into the ground with a deafening boom, the sound was likely heard back at the airship port far above. The earth shattered beneath him and he sunk into the rock, a slight tingling like needles reverberating through his body. If only it had been the other side of the port they would have had water to cushion the fall.

"Why did you do that?" he shouted upon realizing they were firmly on the ground. "You could have…"

A chill went up Horatio's back as he opened his eyes…his arms were empty.

 _Where…I didn't drop her, did I?_

He searched frantically…no that was impossible, he would have felt it. But sure enough Cinder was gone; no matter where he looked there was no sign she had ever been there. Horatio felt as if he were going insane…he had been holding her just a second ago! He had to have been…he wouldn't mistake anyone else for her…he couldn't.

"What is going on?" He asked himself, fumbling for his scroll to ensure she was safe all the while contemplating the climb he now had to make to get back up top.

High above, unbeknownst to him a single shape had watched Horatio's charge and fall over the cliff. A scroll in their pocket buzzed loudly.

"Cinder!" It was Horatio, his voice frantic and not even waiting for a reply as they answered the call. "Are you ok? Were you at the airship dock just now?"

"What are you talking about?" The shape asked calmly, their voice sounding like Cinder to his ears. "I've been working in our room all day…are you feeling alright?"

"You have? But then I….I guess I must be seeing things," he chuckled though the stress in his voice was still obvious. "Forget I said anything, I'm sorry for interrupting you, are we still on for Vale tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Perfect…stay safe," he whispered before ending the call.

 _Dang,_ Emerald thought as she put away the scroll she had borrowed from Cinder. _The guy's dedicated I'll give him that._ Despite Emerald's predictions from past experience with others he had passed her test. Not only had he not hesitated before leaping to Cinder's aid he did everything in his power to protect her at all cost to himself the entire way down.

His overcoat was still slumped at the edge of the cliff. Subtly she snapped off one of the cufflinks, replacing it with another that looked identical in every way. Inside it, however, was monitoring equipment one of their contacts supplied them.

 _So that level of dedication and self-sacrifice is what has affected our leader so? Craziest of all he has the power to back it up. We should all be so lucky to find someone like that…what will he think of her when he learns what we're planning?_

 **Airship Dock…Nightfall…**

General Ironwood stood at the edge of the docks looking out over the sea, the lights of Vale visible in the dark even over such a distance.

"Trouble sleeping?" Glynda asked, slowly approaching from behind. Ironwood hoped he had not woken her. "Your arm acting up again?"

"Not tonight," he smiled, flexing his arms to show they were alright. "I just needed to think."

"Ah, of course," she answered sarcastically. "So, logically you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance miles from your room?"

"Clearly you did too," Ironwood replied with a sly smile, glancing at her disheveled appearance.

"What's wrong?"

"I've trusted him for years, we both have," he started with a heavy sigh. "I just…can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark."

"Don't be ridiculous," Glynda attempted to reassure him, laying her hand on his shoulder. "You know very well that WE are not the ones in the dark."

"That makes it worse," he vented, thinking of how even beyond the dark the students in training are. "A trump card that has aided our predecessors for generations is right here…yet he delays in bringing him into our ranks. I refuse to believe that a man I've trusted for so long would act so…passively."

Glynda frowned, wishing there was more she could do to placate his worries. "You're a good man James…you've always done what you think is best for the people even against STRONG protest and regardless of the cost to yourself…it is…admirable."

Ironwood finally turned towards her, laying his hand on hers gently.

"But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it. Ozpin has experience the rest of us lack…and I think that's something worth remembering."

Ironwood sighed, he did not like delays…but he would acquiesce and hold off…for now.

"Just come back to bed," Glynda offered, tugging his shoulder slightly. "You can use the rest."

"You go on ahead," he replied with a tender smile. "I'll be along…I promise." He watched her walk away, still contemplating more than she knew.

 _Magnolia…why did you run? Was it for him?_

 **Team SSSN Dormitory…**

"Snacks are ready!" Ren called out, stacking the bowls and plates expertly on the table. He had donned a pink apron with the words 'Please do nothing to the cook' stitched into them. A countermeasure to some past actions taken by Nora no doubt.

Teams SSSN, HERO and JNPR descended upon the table eager to devour Ren's cooking…though the leafy green assortments went woefully untouched by all save Ren himself and Zwei. Sun agreed to keep the secret of a dog on campus and snuck him in for the party.

Sun had invited HERO and JNPR to their dormitory, seeing as how none of them had anywhere to be until tomorrow afternoon it became a chance to get to know their fellow Huntsman and Huntresses. Sun's seldom seen teammates Sage and Scarlet were even present as well.

"So I gotta know," Esmerelda asked after the food had been distributed. "Why was Neptune bound and blindfolded when you got off the boat?"

"O that," Sun started nonchalantly, Neptune's face was paling as he continued. "Neptune has a problem when water is related…sort of afraid of the stuff."

"AM NOT!" Neptune refuted strongly. "I have no idea what you are talking about…you guys ambushed me after luring me aboard under false pretenses!"

"Sage had to hold you down," Scarlet snickered. "It was bloody brilliant."

"Well…we all have our fears," Esmerelda rationalized, feeling bad for the absolutely embarrassed look on Neptune's face. "For instance Olivia is not a fan of scorpions…the shape of their stinger creeps her out while I think they're adorable…to each their own."

Sage patted Neptune on the back, silently assuring him that nobody thought any less of him, tonight was a chance to relax with friends.

"Speaking of Olivia," Scarlet smiled, leaning over to Esmerelda as she took a sip of her coffee. "Do you…happen to know if she's seeing anyone?"

Esmerelda eyes widened in surprise, to keep him from noticing she didn't look up from her cup as she replied. "Um…not that I am aware of."

Scarlet just nodded, a big goofy grin glued securely to his face. According to Sun he was the joker of the group akin to Roland but without the puns.

"That is an awesome name!" Jaune exclaimed to Roland on the neighboring couch. "How did you guys come up with it?"

"Well," Roland chuckled. "Downfall of King and Country was often used to describe poor decisions that led to a nations defeat…like going to war over a single woman or challenging a superior defended position. So Horatio thought my impenetrable defense coupled with Esmerelda's offensive abilities exemplified that perfectly."

"Got any others?"

Roland thought on it a moment. They had only practiced their team moves, other than the Paladin fight with Esmerelda they had not tried any in the field.

"Well I had this idea where Olivia sits on my shoulders like she did during initiation and extend her 'perception field' to cover both of us. That way she can take shots at range while remaining mobile to make it harder to locate her. She's had practice with marksmanship from horseback so the speed of even a sprinting person shouldn't affect her aim very much. I call it…Salvation from the Shadows…name pending approval."

Both he and Jaune gave a laugh at his added last line.

"What about you Jaune? I'm sure JNPR has loads of team attacks."

Jaune was practically beside himself with excitement. Pyrrha could attest he had been thinking of names for coordinated attacks their team could use…and every single one required her input before he considered it.

"My first was 'Flower Power' with Ren and Nora…Ren brings the flower…Nora brings the power!"

"How would Ren bring a flower?" Roland asked. Jaune was all too willing to explain in detail.

"I think our teammates are going to give out all our secrets," Olivia laughed. She and Nora were watching the two throw their ideas back and forth.

"That's ok, if we face each other in the tournament we'll be on equal footing." Nora was ever her cheerful self as she inhaled one of Ren's cupcakes.

"I…saw how well you fight during training," Olivia started hesitantly. "May I ask your advice on something?"

"Anything!" Nora practically exploded with a smile.

"My…weapon is only a rifle…Horatio has mentioned on several occasions I could do to upgrade her with some close-range capabilities. You are amazing rotating between your range and melee…could you…give me some pointers?"

"Of…COURSE I COULD!" Nora reached over and squeezed Olivia into a great bear hug. "What we need to do is convert it so it can transform into a giant hammer on command! Like mine!"

"I…don't think…I could lift that," Olivia groaned under the pressure of Nora's hug. How was Ren still alive after knowing her so long?"

"That's perfect, I have a workout regimen I run my team through every week…but they are such wusses and bail almost every time. Come to a few sessions and we'll have you ripped with thunder thighs in no time!" Nora flexed her arms, a menacing smile chiseled onto her face.

 _I'm a dead woman…what have I done?_

Horatio and Pyrrha were sitting amidst the chaos each with a cup of tea in hand. Zwei had taken to sleeping on his lap and was quite content as he scratched behind his ear with a free hand.

"So…four years in a row?" He asked, referring to Pyrrha's victories in the Mistral Regional Tournament. "That is pretty impressive."

"Thank you, though I am surprised I never saw you at any of the competitions. You grew up in Mistral right?"

"I did," he admitted. "I just…never really got interested in combat competitions. I hadn't even considered the Vytal Festival Tournament but the rest of my team out-voted me. Why did you compete?"

Pyrrha thought about the question a few moments before answering.

"I guess…I always felt like it was my…goal…to become a Huntress and protect the world. What better way to accomplish that than facing the best?"

 _That's what Mercury said…_

"Protecting the world, that's…admirable," Horatio complimented. "I don't think I could ever do that…protecting those closest to me, those I meet every day and care about…I think that would be the extent of my abilities."

The two sat in silence for a moment as the conversations around them continued, the mood having suddenly grown very somber.

"O and can't forget Arkos!" Jaune shouted to Roland, interrupting their silent moment. "It will involve Pyrrha and I…you know how we both have shields?"

His enthusiastic tone brought a smile to Pyrrha's face as she burst out laughing unable to contain herself. It was just like she had smiled while spinning with Jaune at the dance.

 _That's more like it,_ Horatio thought. _You need to smile like that more often if you intend to save the world._

They laughed, reveled and thoroughly enjoyed the evening until it came time to leave. Even Zwei enjoyed himself a bit too much and required Olivia to carry him back to their dorm. They all had smiles on their faces though Roland and Sun could not help but feel a sense of uncertainty. As they were relaxing Team RWBY was off in Quadrant 5…they prayed that all of them would stay safe…

 **Mountain Glenn…Nightfall.**

Oobleck and the girls had set up a makeshift camp for the night, Ruby deciding to take first watch…though it seemed she had dozed off. Despite their appearance none of the other girls were sleeping. Oobleck was snoring, slumped against a wall on the second floor of the bombed out building they had sought refuge within. Oobleck had asked each of them in turn on why they became Huntresses…though they each answered him…their answers may not have been totally honest.

And they knew it.

They each admitted their reasons for becoming Huntresses to one another. Weiss revealed she knew full well the…questionable business practices of her father and that she would strive to make things right. By going against her father's wishes and becoming a Huntress she had the chance to make a difference, something she would not have had taking a position in her company as many expected her to do.

Blake joined the academy due to Huntresses noble reputation in the hope she could undo her years of hatred and prejudice against humanity among the White Fang. Though she doubted such redemption was possible for her and in the end she would run away again as she always did despite Yang and Weiss' protests.

Yang was the last to open up; feeling her desire to become a Huntress lacked the drive theirs had.

"I've just…kind of always gone with the flow you know? And that's fine; I mean it's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress…not really because I want to be a hero but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring and that'll be a good thing."

Blake and Weiss were listening to her intently, taking in every word she spoke. The fire they had started bathed the room in an ominous flickering light.

"I mean…just look at how fast I started dating Roland and what did it start from? An impromptu argument stemming from our mutual love of bad puns? If I hadn't gone with the moment we may never have spoken again.

Weiss groaned, remembering their first night at Beacon.

"I don't know how long what I have with him will last…but I will make the most of every moment. That's who I am, I'm not like Ruby." Yang glanced over to her little sister napping in an upright sitting position. "She's ALWAYS wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight she KNEW that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

"Well, she is still just a kid," Weiss offered, sitting up so she could look at them directly.

"She's only two years younger, we're ALL kids."

"Well…not anymore," Yang chuckled. "I mean look where we are…in the middle of a war zone and armed to the teeth." She cocked her gauntlet to press her point.

"It's the life we chose," Blake explained.

"It's a job!" Weiss insisted. "We all have this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads…but at the end of the day it's a job to protect the people and whatever we want…will have to come second."

The other two nodded in agreement, none of them noticing a proud smile forming on Dr. Oobleck's face or the fact he had long ago stopped snoring.

 **Hours later…**

Ruby stirred and awoke with a snort, her neck and back sore from how she had been sleeping. As she started to stretch she looked over, realizing the others were sound asleep, their fire only recently having died out. From the look of it the sun was just starting to try and rise over the horizon.

 _I wonder how Zwei is doing,_ she thought to herself. _Probably bored without Grimm to fight._

Ruby needed to shake off the soreness and was long overdue for a patrol. Using Crescent Rose she pulled herself up and started walking.

Shattered buildings stretched across the area without end in sight, JNPR had described the desolation of Mountain Glenn from their time in the area…but it wasn't enough to prepare Ruby for the reality. So many people died here…

 _I need to be stronger…like Uncle Qrow, Mom, Dad and Yang…or Horatio,_ Ruby smiled awkwardly as she remembered their dance and thought of how amazing he was when fighting despite a lack of weapons.

"I'm telling you I saw a light," she heard a voice not far. Silently she slipped behind a building and peaked around the corner.

Two men, clearly White Fang due to their masks were walking around checking inside several of the buildings. Thankfully they were still relatively far from their campsite. They were both armed with automatic rifles and looked quite on edge.

"Well I don't see it now," the other urged. "Let's just finish this patrol and get back to base…don't want a chance for more Grimm to show up."

"I suppose," the first replied. "Though I dunno if I'd rather be up here or down there when the Boss' lady friend is around."

"Just don't stare or try to strike up a conversation and you'll be fine…come on, I'll buy the first round." The two turned on their heels and headed back the way they came, Ruby snuck from building to building using her semblance to seemingly teleport…silently she followed them.

"Does her presence mean we'll be moving soon?"

"Dunno, thought the operation was still a ways off…but you never know with them. We nearly have everything loaded, if they wanted we could probably head out within the next day or two."

 _Head where?_

The two men stopped at a seemingly arbitrary building, no different than those surrounding it. Glancing left and right the men opened the door to step inside. Ruby's jaw hit the floor, while the building seemed normal, inside was a massive cave entrance that disappeared into blackness further in. Before she could look closer they slammed the door behind them.

"Gotta warn the others," she whispered to herself, pulling out her scroll and dialing Yang.

"Uhh….Ruby?" Yang's voice muttered groggily over her scroll. "Where are you?"

"Still in Mountain Glenn," she whispered. "But I found some White Fang bad guys who disappeared into a cave with a front door. I am there now, track my signal."

"We'll wake Oobleck," Yang started.

"No need girls," his voice popped in, a squeak of surprise could be heard from Yang, Weiss and Blake. "I am quite awake, don't require much sleep nowadays…lets meet up with your leader and get to the bottom of this. Did you say a cave with a front door Ms. Rose?"

"Yes Prof…Dr. Oobleck. It looks like it goes down under the streets of Mountain Glenn."

"Good lord…"

"What's wrong sir?"

"We are not just looking for an underground crime network…..we are looking an UNDERGROUND CRIME NETWORK!"

 **Friends enjoy their reprieve from battle while RWBY stumbles into a warzone…A big thank you to everyone reading and enjoying this story. Read and Review…but most of all enjoy :).**


	20. What they Trained for

**Our Heroes enjoy their time off, unaware that their golden days are soon to be shattered. RWBY heads deeper into the depths of Mountain Glenn…what will they find beneath? A big thanks to everyone enjoying this tale, Ready, Review and Enjoy :)**

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under…Horatio! Come on in!" Tukson greeted Team HERO as they entered his shop.

The store seemed to have grown in popularity over the course of the second semester. There were several customers browsing the shelves and a few waiting at the front desk. Horatio felt bad he hadn't been there in a while.

"Good morning Mr. Tukson!" he replied with a smile, his teammates close behind. They had just arrived on the Bullhead from Beacon after departing on the first available flight having wanted the entire day to themselves. Zwei was trailing behind as happy as ever.

"Help ring these up," he ordered a nearby employee Horatio did not recognize. Handing off a stack of books he made his way over. "And always a pleasure to see you again Ms. Esmerelda."

She bowed politely with a smile in response.

"These are my other teammates Oliva and Roland," he introduced. Roland bowed as well though Olivia walked up and started shaking his hand energetically. I hope its ok we brought Zwei…we are watching him for a friend."

"Everyone's welcome!" He threw his arms up cheerfully as soon as Olivia released them. "I've been having an 'everything must go' sale…40% off all purchases…but buy three and you get the fourth book free…I'm practically giving them away!"

The team chuckled at his sales pitch all save Horatio who looked heartbroken.

"Everything must go?" he asked, only just now realizing many of the shelves were empty. "You're not closing are you?"

Tukson's eyes drooped slightly, his previous energy gone. "Afraid so kid, I have…an urgent family issue in Vacuo. This was only a temporary thing. I honestly was supposed to have left before now but…."

 _Your enthusiasm and Blake's determination made me stay longer than I should have…why they haven't tracked me down and finished the job yet I'll never know. Blake knew of his White Fang connections but he downplayed how serious his departure had been._

"Final sale will go on today and tomorrow…I'll be on the next flight the day after."

"I could…help out today!" he offered, saddened that he hadn't heard anything before now and soon wouldn't be seeing the old Puma Faunus anymore.

"We all could!" Olivia reinforced.

"That means a lot…really it does. But I already brought in some help, old friends from way back."

Horatio noticed the two employees helping out he hadn't seen before. One was a rabbit Faunus though her ears were silver and she looked older compared to Velvet. The one he had handed the books off to had bat ears, only then did Horatio realize that what he had mistaken for a robe under his vest was actually wings folded around his body.

"Don't feel bad kid," Tukson approached Horatio, laying his hand on his head and ruffling his hair. "I've already made all the preparations…anything from the history sections that don't sell…is yours." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I also included Blake's selections, be sure she gets them."

Horatio's eyes brightened, though a hint of guilt still hung in his mind. He enjoyed books but if given the choice he'd much rather have Tukson and his shop remain in Vale.

"Then…I should return this," Horatio dipped into his coat pocket and produced Twin Worlds: The Birth of an Age. He hadn't finished yet…but Tukson had spoken of its rarity, if he was leaving he should have it.

Tukson hesitated, noticing the bookmark still pressed three quarters of the way through

"Keep it," he reassured him with a pat on the shoulder. "I don't need the money and it'd just be sitting in a dusty closet somewhere," he stressed upon seeing Horatio was about to object. "Books are meant to be read. If all goes well I can always open another store."

Horatio smiled though it was obviously bittersweet, his team had withdrawn to give them their space. Roland was already glancing over what books remained.

"How to pick up fair maidens?" He whispered. His curiosity too strong he flipped the book open and started to skim. Yang would get such a laugh out of this.

"If you ever open another bookstore somewhere, be sure to send me a message," Horatio insisted, producing his scroll to exchange information. "I'll be a full Huntsman in three years…maybe some of my missions will take me out your way."

"I certainly hope so…" Another chime interrupted them as a new customer entered the store. "Welcome to Tukso…" he started, his blood turning to ice as he saw who it was.

"Cinder!" Horatio called cheerily. "I am so glad you could make it." He rushed over wrapping his arms around her in a strong embrace that she returned. Despite their time off she had elected to wear the vest and wrappings she used in combat.

Tukson started to raise his hands; claws extended and ready to fight. While Horatio had her pulled in tight Cinder raised a finger to her lips behind his back and shook her head subtly…commanding silence from the old Faunus.

"Sorry Mr. Tukson, this is…" Horatio started after releasing her.

"I am his girlfriend," she explained, bowing politely and extending her hand to him in greeting as if they'd never seen each other. "My name is Cinder Fall; it is a pleasure to meet you." Horatio had gone pale at having heard her utter the "G" word for the first time.

Tukson just stared at her, his eyes wider than they'd ever been. Had Horatio been playing him since they met? Was this an elaborate scheme all along? No, that couldn't be, he was looking confused at Tukson's reaction to Cinder, clearly oblivious to the situation. How completely in the dark was he of this girl's connections?

"L-likewise," he finally replied. Subtly retracting his claws he reciprocated the handshake though they both squeezed harder than they should have.

"Horatio! What kind of books are you recommending people!?" Olivia shouted. She held the last copy of the 'Sais of Passion' and appeared to have skimmed to page 84. It was the same page Ray had been reading on the Bullhead.

"O geez, sorry I'll be right back," Horatio rushed towards her leaving Tukson and Cinder alone together. "You can't just flip to a page! That scene needs context!"

Tukson and Cinder stared each other down unnoticed by the other customers perusing the store. "Come to kill me?" He whispered, fists clenching.

"You are not worth my time," she replied with a smug grin. "I only came to join my…beloved Horatio. The fact you were here is sheer coincidence I assure you."

"You leave that boy alone," Tukson let a growl escape his lips. "He has nothing to do with you or my former associates."

"No…he doesn't…but he will if I have anything to say about it."

Tukson wanted to lunge at her…rip her throat out or at the very least give her a good thrashing…but he knew better. He had seen her at several White Fang meetings before his departure though he didn't know her name before today. She was infamous for how dangerous she was…according to rumors she had annihilated an entire platoon under Adam Taurus' command single-handedly. If that were true and she cut loose, no one in his store would survive...himself included.

"Don't look so angry," she chided. "He is quite a fine man…if things go my way he will want for nothing."

"Except his soul," Tukson retorted. "Do you even care about him at all?"

Cinder suddenly hesitated, her smug grin flattening somewhat in uncertainty, even Tukson was surprised by her reaction.

"Sorry about that," Horatio apologized, returning to their side completely oblivious to the tension between them. Olivia had continued to look over the selections, a slight blush on her face as she pulled another book from the shelf. Whether or not he had convinced her of the book's artistic integrity would remain a mystery. "We were hoping to get something to eat after we were done here if the rest of your team wanted to come along."

Tukson's face grimaced as he saw the look of utter contentment and joy in Horatio's face as he spoke to Cinder…he was in love with her alright.

"That sounds lovely; my team should be by later this afternoon. We can make quite the evening."

"I hope to see you again before you have to go Mr. Tukson," Horatio bowed before Cinder took his arm and led him to a nearby shelf. With uncontained enthusiasm Horatio began recommending novels to her.

"What do we do sir?" The silver-haired Faunus whispered behind him having noticed the entire exchange.

"Bump up the savings to 50% buy two get the third free...then give it a couple hours and start emptying the store with any excuse you want…I intend for us to be on the next flight out of Vale before sundown."

 _If SHE is here I don't want to stick around, something big is happening. I'm sorry kid…but I have my own mission to continue…good luck. You'll need it._

 **Mountain Glenn Underground Tunnels…**

Oobleck led the way, motioning for silence again as they made their way through the Mountain Glenn subterranean level. Ruby had awaited their presence at the hidden entrance and thus lost sight of the White Fang soldiers; however they were not covering their tracks and were easy enough to follow.

"What would the White Fang want under Mountain Glenn?" Weiss whispered to Blake, hoping she had some idea from her time among them. Unfortunately Blake just shrugged, clearly as baffled as the rest.

"It would be an EXCELLENT hiding place," Oobleck commented. "After the Grimm overwhelmed the survivors of Mountain Glenn the Kingdom of Vale sealed off the tunnels…if Grimm numbers hadn't spiked as a result of the Merlot Island incident we never would have even looked. It is likely the White Fang moved in while their numbers were being suppressed by Dr. Merlot's experiments. What I don't understand is why use the abandoned subway tracks? They are sealed and there are dozens of larger caverns to choose from like the one Team JNPR fell into while here."

Dr. Oobleck held up his hand for them to wait, peeking around the corner he spotted the tracks leading into the distance. To his shock there was a long line of train cars stretching as far as he could see in both directions.

"Strange…quite strange indeed. Students…we need to find out what are in these cars, pick one and start investigating. If you spot any White Fang report in IMMEDIATELY!"

"Yes doctor," Ruby replied as the four split from Oobleck who went to check further down the cave.

"I wonder where the guards are." Yang remarked aloud as she snapped the lock on the nearest car with ease.

"Probably didn't think it was necessary beyond perimeter patrols," Blake explained. "The area above is crawling with Grimm…as long as you kept them out the odds that anyone would be here are nearly zero."

Yang pulled the car door open as silently as she could. The image of another stolen Atlas Paladin greeted her; she nearly took a swing before realizing it was powered down…as were the other half dozen that shared the same car.

Blake and Weiss searched the neighboring cars; they found the same along with weapons and other assorted devices of war.

"They could arm an…army with these," Blake reported, a terrified look on her face.

"But where would they attack? These tracks were sealed years ago!"

The girls continued down the path following Dr. Oobleck, each car contained the armaments and weapons to supply hundreds. Once they got far enough along the cars were instead mostly empty…mostly…

"Um…guys," Ruby interrupted. "What is that?"

In the center of the car she had searched was instead a strange large tubular object, it had a series of wires and panels covering its surface as well as a readout display. Yang's eyes went wide, remembering Jaune's recounting of Team JNPRs excursion beneath Mountain Glenn.

 _I guess we now know who booby trapped that cavern._

"That is a bomb…"

"ALL the rear compartments have bombs!" Oobleck's voice crackled over their scroll. "I am aboard the train's caboose, please make your way to the front and try to…"

"Hey! Who is over there?!" A voice called down from further down the tunnel. It was a White Fang soldier; he had spotted the four of them outside the train car and was raising his rifle in their direction.

Ruby was faster, in a flash she had Crescent Rose trained on him, the electric round slammed into his chest as he collapsed in a spasm before falling silent.

"Huntresses!" Another soldier not far behind called out, setting off the alarm. A dozen more rushed out to meet them, weapons in hand. Clearly the White Fang present had been further up near the front cars.

Team RWBY formed up, weapons drawn and ready to face the attackers.

"Bumblebee! Iceflowers!" Ruby shouted, announcing their team attack names.

Blake threw her pistol to Yang who caught it expertly now tethered to her by the long cord protruding from its back. Yang launched herself with a blast from her gauntlets while Blake held back, rooting herself with a low stance.

Yang connected with the closest soldier, without hesitating she kicked off his chest into the next with a powerful punch and repeated the process. She continued the savage game of ping pong on each White Fang that confronted her. Anytime one of them targeted her she would skate to the side, using her link with Blake to swing in unpredictable directions.

In the back, Weiss created an ice glyph in front of Ruby who had converted Crescent Rose fully into its Sniper Rifle form. Each shot from her rifle passed through the glyph; becoming infused with ice before striking the target…freezing anyone struck in their tracks.

"What is going on?" A familiar face screamed from further down the tracks. Roman Torchwick scowled at the girls that had become the bane of his existence. Ruby could just barely make out the pink umbrella of the mysterious woman they had met at the warehouse standing by his side. "Can't ANY of you kill four little girls?"

Clearly his men were not used to fighting Huntresses as they continued to be clobbered, knocked out or frozen; already those that remained were retreating to the perceived safety of the train cars.

"For all that's good…" Roman grumbled angrily. "Get this thing moving, we are leaving!"

"But we aren't done," a bespectacled Faunus stressed before Roman pinned him to the nearby wall with his cane.

"DO IT PERRY! I like you I REALLY do, but if you don't get us moving within the next minute...!" He growled before dropping the man back on the ground in a heap.

"Everyone! Pack your things we are leaving NOW!" A voice echoed throughout the cavern on an intercom system. Already the train's wheels were groaning as the long motionless engines started to stir.

"What are they thinking?!" Oobleck shouted in frustration. "Get onboard girls! We cannot let them get away."

Ruby grabbed onto the closest train car, several up from the far caboose, the three others succeeding in joining her.

"Well they are going somewhere!" Yang pointed out.

"We need backup!" Ruby shouted. "I'll call Horatio."

She pulled out her scroll, flipping to his number. The scroll beeped a negative response as it could not connect. The signal was getting through, but his scroll was not receiving it.

"Try Jaune!" Yang offered. "I'll call Roland." Ruby flipped to his number quickly, stabilizing herself as the train slowly started to pick up speed…

"They'll never get here in time even if they were already en route," Weiss shouted, worry starting to form even in her voice. "Where is this train heading?"

"The tunnels were sealed years ago," Oobleck explained again. "But before that time this track led straight to…

 **Monty Café, Vale…**

Horatio scratched Zwei behind the ears as he leaned back and stretched his legs; the Monty Café was bustling as ever despite how early in the day it was. It was quickly becoming their favorite get together outside Beacon. All of Team HERO and Cinder had taken up seats outside…the weather was beautiful.

They were beat, since arriving they had spent a good bit of time at Tukson's before some 'light' shopping as evidenced by the tote bags that were scattered around their table. Zwei had been hard to handle at first, apparently he wasn't the best with new people as he had growled and barked at first meeting Cinder. Fortunately he understood after some coaxing from Horatio that she was with them.

Olivia had her Vytal Festival pamphlet out and was quickly planning her to-do list.

"After our semester exams the tournament takes precedence of course," she explained to everyone. "But that is just the surface, there is WAY more to do. Just look at all the eateries they are having from all over Remnant! They'll have parades; reenactments of the battle that ended the Great War…a masquerade ball…even plays are being performed with audience participation!"

Esmerelda nodded along as she enjoyed her morning coffee. "A play would be nice to relax in between the walking and fighting."

"They say it's a romantic play," Olivia raised her eyebrows mischievously towards Roland, her glance also darting to Cinder and Horatio. "The Tale of Sleeping Sendrilla who is cursed by an evil godmother and must be awoken by loves first kiss…complete with dragon fight and everything."

Cinder and Horatio took a simultaneous nonchalant sip of tea and water respectively.

Olivia sighed disappointedly at their lack of a reaction. "You're no fun today."

Roland's scroll began to buzz; checking it he smiled upon seeing it was Yang. He had been growing worried that she hadn't called in the morning like she said she would. He'd assumed she was indisposed.

"Good Morning Sunflow…"

"No time for that," Yang interrupted. "We have a BIG problem; Torchwick, that creepy girl from the warehouse and the White Fang are in control of trains under Mountain Glenn. We are on one currently speeding straight for Vale."

All five of them stood up from the table, thankful that they had their weapons available per Ms. Goodwitch's instruction to remain combat ready. Roland requested permission via his scroll to track Yang's location, she approved it almost immediately.

 _What are you doing Roman?_ Cinder scowled. _You weren't supposed to start that phase until the Vytal Festival finals…this could ruin everything._

"You guys are going fast! At this rate you'll be at Vale in less than thirty minutes!"

"Right! Ruby is calling Jaune; his team is going to warn the teachers at Beacon. We tried to reach Horatio but his scroll isn't receiving."

Horatio checked his scroll with a beep, horrified that he had switched off in preparation for their day together.

 _How could I be so stupid? We were supposed to be on standby just in case._

"He's with us," Olivia replied quickly, her eyes traced their current path along the map Roland's scroll had overlaid on his image. "You have to find a way to stop that train; you'll hit the sealed passages any second!"

"No need to worry about that," Oobleck interrupted. Roland could hear the five grunting coupled with gunfire in the background, they were clearly fighting. "Most of the train cars are filled with bombs and detaching one after the other…the explosions are blasting through the seals and making openings for the Grimm! They are following us to the city! The ones not filled with bombs have weapons and more stolen suits…we are currently engaging them."

Olivia recalculated the train's path.

"That means you'll break through the final seal in the commercial district, at the intersection on Thirteenth Street and Oum Boulevard near the park. There are hundreds of people there at this hour!"

"Roland and Esmerelda can warn law enforcement and start cornering off the area!" Horatio delegated. "Cinder, Olivia and I will try to get as many people out of there as possible in case you can't stop the train. We'll wait for backup from Beacon once the area is clear."

"I'll call in my team," Cinder added.

 _More changes to the plan…_

"Roger that…guess we'll be seeing you soon," Yang ended with an awkward chuckle before turning off her scroll.

The four stood up, each of them gripping the teammate beside them just below the elbow, their team handshake forming a square between them. They had developed it a few weeks prior and were ecstatic to have a reason to use it despite the situation, showcasing their unity against anything the world can throw at them.

Motioning over Horatio invited Cinder who laid her hand over his, even Zwei hopped onto Olivia's shoulders with a triumphant bark.

"Aaannnd….Break!"

 **Beneath Mountain Glenn…**

Ruby clobbered another row of White Fang soldiers that had rushed them. She and Oobleck were running along the top of the train trying to reach the operator cab before it was too late. Blake, Weiss and Yang were traveling through the cars hoping to find some way of deactivating the bombs.

"We're not going fast enough!" Oobleck shouted, far ahead he could see entire rows of Paladin suits now operated by White Fang soldiers.

They would never reach the front cars in time. The doctor had revealed his weapon, his coffee thermos had transformed into an enormous torch from which he could throw bursts of fire. He had already dropped three Paladin suits nearly single-handedly. The two worked flawlessly together, Ruby decimating the foot soldiers while Oobleck took out the heavy hitters. Despite their combat chemistry there were simply too many slowing them down.

"They cannot have planned to set out so soon," Oobleck shouted as they continued fighting through the White Fang. "What was their exit strategy when the train breaches the final wall?"

Ruby only shrugged, she was comfortable on the battlefield but could not contemplate their rationale.

"Ms. Rose!" Oobleck shouted as he toppled another Paladin over the side. "Do press forward, I will continue to deal with them and give time for your team to stop the train!"

Ruby nodded, aiming Crescent Rose downward she fired a round, using the force to launch herself over the small army of White Fang to the other side. Activating her semblance she took off down the train towards the front in a burst of wind and rose petals.

"Now then," Oobleck sneered as she disappeared into the distance. His torch burst brighter, the flame atop turning a shimmering blue. He preferred his more impressionable students to not see him cut loose. "Class is in session."

 **Inside the train cars below…**

Weiss, Blake and Yang rushed through the next train car, so far they had been empty save for the bombs as the troops had all gone above to deal with Oobleck and Ruby.

Entering the next car the three stopped as a new challenger dropped in to greet them. The strange girl Roman had called Neo back in Vale stood to her full height, still quite small compared to the others. With another eerie smile she laid her hands on and cocked her hips, clearly challenging them.

"You two go on ahead, this one's mine," Yang whispered, ready to get some payback for her rescuing of Roman at their last encounter.

Weiss and Blake rushed ahead to the next car, running past Neo who didn't even acknowledge their presence, her smile locked squarely on Yang's face.

Accepting her challenge Yang simply walked right towards her, Neo doing the same, they stopped mere inches from each other in the center of the room. Yang could not help but notice even in heels Neo came nearly a foot shorter than her. Despite the considerable height disparity Neo showed no signs she was even worried facing the blonde brawler, rather she looked delighted. Still smiling Neo simply blinked once, Yang barely noticing that her brown right eye and pink left eye suddenly switched colors.

 _Man that's creepy._

With a satisfying growl Yang wound up her arm, swinging to deliver a devastating punch to the small fighter.

Her fist never connected; instead a strong force knocked her backwards, staggering her for a moment. Neo twirled her pink parasol expertly, somehow having brought it out and struck Yang before her fist could reach her.

 _Please…be careful,_ Roland's voice echoed in her mind.

 **Further ahead…**

Weiss delivered another flurry of strikes to the White Fang Lieutenant, sending him flying into the wall, just as before he got back to his feet, seemingly unfazed.

The large White Fang soldier had been awaiting them several cars up from Neo; he was clearly the one who had introduced Roman back at the Warehouse in Vale. True to Blake's word he now wielded an immense chainsaw and was quite durable. Weiss had insisted on facing him while Blake continued forward after Roman.

Despite her clear skill advantage the burly White Fang kept getting back up. Again and again she struck him from every angle yet he never stayed down. He would attack with his enormous weapon and she would cartwheel or dive around it, but he never slowed down…all it would take was a single mistake.

 _It feels like I'm fighting Horatio!_

The two had never sparred, but Esmerelda had told more than enough stories…she also remembered his performance on the first day of school and the colossal hit during initiation he had only brushed off.

"He was a good reminder," Esmerelda had told her over a good cup of coffee. "Some species of Grimm will always be stronger than us no matter what we do. We need to be flexible and adapt."

"COME HERE PRINCESS!" The White Fang Lieutenant shouted after Weiss had finished another attack. Somehow he had almost completely shaken it off like the hit was nothing.

He grabbed Weiss squarely by her face; with a powerful heave he slammed her into the train floor, denting it. Weiss gasped in pain as the wind was knocked out of her even through her aura, his grip was like iron and she couldn't escape it.

With a grunt she formed a gravity glyph between them similar to the ones she made for Ruby…but in this case he would be the projectile. The Lieutenant blasted backwards at such speed even his grip could not hold, he slammed into the back door.

 _I can't let him do that again,_ Weiss gasped, feeling her face and throat for injury as she staggered to her feet. _He's just too strong._

 _Adapt…_

The monster of a man was back on his feet, his chainsaw revved up as he stared the heiress down, ready to charge again.

Weiss raised Myrtenaster, her weapon, the dust cartridge twirling to red. In response a single massive glyph appeared behind her. He would not get that close to her, not again.

As the White Fang charged Weiss reacted, with a swipe of her sword a ball of flame burst forth, propelled by the glyph behind her it grew in size and blasted right into him. The Lieutenant's strength held, though his speed dropped.

Weiss gave no room to recover, her dust chamber rotating to yellow. Stabbing Myrtenaster into the ground a black glyph appeared beneath him. He attempted to escape, but his muscles felt sluggish…restrained, he could hardly move as a bolt of lightning erupted one after another from her weapon, striking him full in the chest. Were it not for the glyph holding him in place he would likely have been blasted into the wall.

Weiss ejected the empty yellow cartridge as it rotated again to blue-white…her preferred element. The glyph holding her opponent started to crack. Despite her practice in creating them he was actually overpowering it, he would be free any second.

"I am not losing to a Schnee!" The White Fang Lieutenant growled as the last of the glyph shattered.

"Yes…you are," Weiss replied calmly as she swung her sword.

The glyph behind her lit up as a javelin of ice erupted form the tip of her sword. With the added glyph boost it grew and propelled towards him with such force it looked like a miniature comet.

The Lieutenant dove to his side but it kept with him, directed by the serene mind of the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company controlling it. He was not fast enough to dodge it a second time. The blast caught him in his chest, lifting him off his feet as it pulled him along with it. For every second after it touched him a slow crawl of ice enveloped him at the point of impact and spread. By the time he struck the back wall the entirety of his body was covered, latching to the wall and continuing its journey until he was securely trapped to the train car hull.

Weiss could hear his struggles beneath the cold, despite his strength it was holding; she made sure to shatter the ice connecting the monstrous chainsaw to his hand. In his current position he could not hold on and it crumpled to the ground…she shattered it with a single strike.

Weiss turned with a hair flip, a smug smile on her face as she walked away, prepared to continue forward after Blake. Before she did so she hesitated, glancing back at the previous car.

 _That fight took longer than I would have liked…but Yang hasn't caught up with us…what is going on back there?_

 **Yang's Car…several minutes earlier…**

Yang shook the cobwebs out of her head as she staggered to her feet, trying to remember what had happened.

She had lost…badly.

No matter how hard she had hit, no matter how fast she was…Neo had been faster. Her parasol continued to deflect every shot, and she had literally danced her way around every swing Yang could come up with. Even the moves she had come up with during Roland's training were no use. The last thing Yang remembered was Neo contorting herself around her arm…throwing her into the steel ceiling head first.

As Yang's eyes focused she noticed a large red…something in front of her. It looked like an eye standing upright in the train car. Neo was nowhere to be found.

An armored warrior was slowly walking into it. Long black hair similar to Yang's…red armor protecting the arm and shoulders…and a large dust blade on their hip. Without a doubt it was the same warrior Roland had described who saved him in Forever Fall. Since then Yang had ample time to deduce the mystery woman's identity.

"Mom?" She muttered, whether the newcomer heard her or not they did not turn to acknowledge her, disappearing into the portal as it closed behind her.

Yang sighed, despite her wishes she didn't have time for this, she had to continue…the others may need her help. Breaking into a sprint she rushed towards the next car.

 **Train Rooftop…**

Ruby sprinted atop the train cars; resistance was very light since she had left Dr. Oobleck to deal with the larger White Fang forces. She was far enough ahead she could not hear his laughter of enjoyment dealing with them left and right. Despite her progress she was still several cars back from the conductor's cab.

A nearby latch was flung open, rather than more White Fang as she feared it was Blake whose head popped up followed closely by Yang and Weiss.

Weiss and Yang had met up with Blake shortly after she'd finished soundly defeating Roman Torchwick on her own. Weiss had encased him in a thick layer of ice both as protection and to ensure he didn't slip away again.

 _They made it!_

"No good," Blake reported. "The hatch to the next car is sealed; up top is the only way ahead from here."

Looking forward their hearts dropped. The final barricade could be seen in the distance approaching fast…they had no time to traverse the remaining cars before they collided.

"What do we do?" Blake asked as the team lined up, standing together.

Ruby and Weiss smiled mischievously to each other, clearly both having the same idea. Grabbing Blake with her right arm and Yang with her left Ruby ducked low as Weiss simultaneously slammed her sword into the ground. A massive cocoon of ice enshrouded the four girls growing thicker and thicker with each passing second…right up to the moment the train collided with the final barrier…

 **Vale Square…**

 **"** Please, everyone you need to vacate this area!" Horatio shouted as loud and commandingly as he could. Olivia was doing the same on the streets above, most were complying but the occasional obstinate civilian was making a fuss. They quickly quieted down upon the mention of incoming Grimm and a threatening bark from Zwei.

Cinder and Horatio clearly had the tougher job as they had descended into the park to reach the ones who were too far to hear. Sirens were heading their way as law enforcement had been notified and were speedily setting up road blocks…but it was still taking too long. Olivia checked her scroll; it had been almost twenty minutes since they received Yang's call. The train would be there soon.

Down below she could see Cinder run into the center of the park, a small child was wandering around and not following anyone to safety. Horatio was beside her, the two seemed to be trying to convince the girl to come with them who was hiding behind a tree.

 _Where are her parents? We gotta go!_

Olivia was suddenly thrown to the side as the ground shook beneath her; she barely caught a railing in time to steady herself. _Nonononono it's too soon! How fast was that train going?_

Olivia stared in horror as the concrete wall across from the park exploded outward. The cab of a massive industrial train plowed through it, decimating and crushing everything in its path. Olivia thanked everyone and everything she could think of that area had been evacuated…except for…

Horatio, Cinder and the little girl had been directly in the path of the oncoming locomotive. The last thing Olivia saw before it struck was Horatio shouting a warning the moment before they were engulfed by the flaming metal and debris.

"HORATIO!" Olivia screamed in despair as she quickened her pace, determined to reach them. Inside she was certain he was safe with his power, then again she could think of nothing hitting him as hard as a speeding train…then there was Cinder and the girl…

More holes began to form around the initial breach one after another. Within a matter of seconds dozens of Grimm of various types had emerged…no…hundreds! And more were coming. They were quickly swarming the streets…the civilians that were still near the park had started to scatter…but there were so many…

Olivia unslung the rifle from her back, rage filling her dark pink eyes as she opened fire at the first Grimm threatening an innocent…she WOULD get down there and find them…whatever the outcome…

 **The Grimm have breached Vale's defenses, all available defenders scrambling to meet them…Volume two concludes next time. Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy. :)**


	21. Once More Unto the Breach

**Over 3000 views for the Volume 2 finale! A big thank you to everyone reading, reviewing and enjoying this tale! :)**

 **Vale's defenses have been breached, its defenders still en route. It is up to RWBY, JNPR and our Heroes to hold the line in their absence…I hope everyone enjoys the Volume 2 Finale. :)**

Olivia fired another volley, dropping three Beowolves standing too close together and allowing the young couple they were looming over a chance to run. The area was now completely deserted save for the Grimm…the rest having retreated to safety.

"Ruby!" Olivia shouted, spotting the four members of Team RWBY staggering to their feet at the foot of the train cab.

"Olivia! We couldn't stop it; they are pouring into the city!"

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang all stood back to back, completely and utterly surrounded by Grimm. It was here Ruby felt most at home. Without a word the four scattered, picking a group of Grimm and fighting with everything they had.

Ruby planted Crescent Rose into the ground, using it as a base as she ran in circles, kicking any Beowolf that dared get too close; there was no shortage of takers.

Yang blasted off the ground using her gauntlet rounds as propulsion. Once high enough she started firing barrage after barrage at the hordes on the ground, decimating them in record numbers. A loud screech drew her attention, turning in mid-air Yang spotted a flock of Nevermores bearing down on her while she could not evade.

Olivia aimed her rifle up, firing her largest high-impact fire dust rounds directly into the flock, forcing it to scatter. A single talon clipped Yang, sending her plummeting to the ground.

"I got you!" Roland shouted, diving beneath, tilting his shield up towards her. Yang planted her feet, spring boarding off the shield, immediately flying into the nearest Beowolf and slamming it into a wall. "Dropping in?"

"Well you know how I love to start a fight with a Yang," she smiled as the two reunited on the battlefield.

"Perfect," he returned the smile. "Now I get to show off."

Winding up his arm Roland released his shield with a mighty throw, sending it spinning towards the nearest Ursa. The shield's bladed edges clipped clean through its neck, bouncing off two additional walls and through another three Beowolves before returning to his hand. He had been practicing that for weeks.

As the shield returned it unfolded once more into the warglaive form, Roland was much more proficient in its use with two good arms. He slashed his way through a wave of Creepers, Yang watching his back.

Weiss and Blake were covering each other not far, each striking what Grimm they could before falling back to allow the other to cover their retreat. Blake converted her sword to its gun form and mowed down a wave of Creepers…but more always poured forth to fill the gaps.

"Where is Horatio?" Ruby asked, taking a nearby Grimm's head off.

"Under the train!" Olivia shouted in reply. "He and Cinder were…"

Before she could complete her thought a loud explosion forced them to cover their ears. From the looks of it a pillar of flame had erupted from the train debris blasting away a portion of what remained. Had a weapon cache detonated from the flames?

After several tense moments Olivia spotted three forms begin their climb out of the freshly formed opening…a smile returning to her face where it belonged.

 **Beneath the Rubble…**

Cinder looked up as soon as the sound of grinding metal and stone stopped, surveying the situation. That stupid child had refused to leave the park, eliciting Horatio and by extension herself to pursue her. Horatio performed as selflessly as ever when the train had careened right into them, diving in to shield them.

And that was where his power came to the forefront.

Until now she had understood he had freakish strength and durability…but now it made absolutely no sense. He had leapt between the train and Cinder; the little girl shielded between them and held his ground. The train had plowed into his back…and just STOPPED. Every piece of the train that struck his aura stopped cold, the rest not directly impacting him continued its path of destruction literally shearing itself off from the rest and continued forward.

But the part that boggled the mind…she couldn't feel the force of the train around her AT ALL. Were it not for the grating sounds and what she could see with her eyes…she would never know she was at the eye of a steel typhoon. Cinder could understand someone's strength holding back just about anything…but to block a speeding train so utterly that another person standing directly in front of him cannot even slightly feel the impact? That should be utterly impossible.

Horatio appeared to have trained to extend his aura somewhat as there was no way he was large enough to completely protect Cinder with his body alone…yet not a single scrap of metal so much as nicked her vest or the child as the train rushed past. After agonizing seconds the train completed its parade of destruction, leaving the three trapped in a bubble of gnarled machinery and scrap.

"Are…you both ok?" Horatio asked. The groan of metal could be heard over his back, likely the one thing preventing it from collapsing on their heads.

The little girl was still crying but was otherwise fine, Cinder only nodded as she pointed a hand upward. Horatio had proven he would keep her secret and she didn't think she could stand being under this rubble with the brat crying for much longer.

Flame encircled her right eye for an instant.

With a single concentrated burst of flame the roof above them exploded outward, revealing sunlight. Horatio grunted as the pressure disappeared from his back and he could stretch his arms freely again, the girl refusing to release the hold on his leg.

"It's ok now," Horatio assured her. "You can let go."

The girl let out a wail, digging her nails deeper into his leg, no sign of letting go in sight. Cinder reached out to pull her away, frustration nearly at the breaking point again.

 _First Roman initiates the next phase WEEKS early, eliciting an attack that may do damage but would no longer ensure Vale's destruction. Then I am forced to protect these…PEOPLE and a brat who doesn't have a hint of self-preservation…if she doesn't silence herself, Horatio nearby or not I will…_

Cinder's eyes froze as they locked onto where the little girl was clinging. She was digging her nails into the skin of his leg just below the hem of his shorts…as soon as Cinder had bored down on the girl a single nail flicked across his leg, eliciting a wince as it cut through his skin.

"I-I'm sorry," the little girl apologized upon realizing what she'd done. Her cries finally subsided to tearful sniffles.

"Don't be," Horatio comforted with a pat to the head. "It's just a scratch."

 _Just…a scratch?_

Cinder's mind raced, this man, this first-year Huntsman in training who had survived Grimm, androids, mutants and now a train traveling at incredible speeds without so much as a bruise was just scratched…by a toddler. And then the answer hit her, she allowed a malicious smile of triumph to cut through her façade as she had solved the mystery…this HAD to be the answer.

She remembered back to the times she had watched him fight, against Mercury, the androids at Merlot's lab, the mutated Grimm…all of it. At the start of battle he would seem above average at best but nothing special, however as the fights went on he became a force of nature taking hits with seemingly no injury while delivering titanic blows…and therein lay the secret. It even explained how he could stop the train so completely.

 _Even the weakest of auras would have protected against a child's nails…I was too busy thinking he was like others…which I should have realized by now he never was._

His semblance allowed his aura to absorb the kinetic force of anything that struck it, like the Xiao Long girl's…but so much more. His was passive…allowing him to absorb and channel the force towards his speed, strength, durability, even stamina…the harder you hit him the stronger he would get. Unlike the golden girl he actually STOPPED the kinetic force against his body and prevented injury, there had to be a thermal component to it as well which would explain how he could survive even a Maiden's flames. But could it be so simple? Why didn't he seem so immovable all the time if he could totally cancel an objects momentum?

Her smile deepened upon realizing the simple answer…he could CONTROL how much energy he channeled. Emerald had determined he was actively hiding how his power worked…if he could control how much he absorbed he could allow enough kinetic force through to play the part that he was still feeling the attacks and keep others from realizing what he was doing. But…his aura was fragile without his semblance to reinforce it as a result as the little girl had so kindly proven. If the attack did not possess sufficient force to strengthen his aura or skin…it would pass clean through.

 _A knife through the heart at close range pushed in VERY slowly…that's all it would take. He let her close to him often enough…_

Cinder assumed he mustn't be able to hold onto the energy for very long without input as he was cut so soon after having stopped the train…or perhaps he used up all he had absorbed to stop it…something for future examination. Horatio often stomped his feet or slammed his hands together before going into battle. Cinder had assumed it was a part of the male bravado to amp himself up for a fight or to show off. It was anything but…he was actively generating his own kinetic energy in preparation for the fight!

 _Such a clever boy…with that strategy we might never have realized how your powers worked. But you made a mistake, for the first time today you used your FULL power to stop that train's momentum completely. On top of that this girl showed us the rest, between the two we were given all the pieces we'd ever need. You just revealed the secret of your power, and for what? You gave yourself away just to…just to…_

He had given himself away without a second thought…to protect her.

The two climbed out of the rubble, the girl held in Horatio's arms as they broke through outside into the morning air.

"Oh no," Horatio groaned.

Grimm were swarming throughout the park climbing over the train rubble and running through the streets. He could see law enforcement road blocks doing as best they could to contain them…but without backup they would not last long.

"I will take the girl," Cinder offered, picking her out of Horatio's arms. "Once she is safe I will return, my team is nearly here."

 _A reward for your role today little one, you get to survive._

Horatio nodded as he jumped over the side of the car, flattening the first Grimm unfortunate enough to be below. He could see Olivia waving in the distance as she dropped another nearby Beowolf. She, the rest of Team HERO and RWBY were fighting through wave after wave of Grimm and were barely holding, there were plenty more for all of them…It was time to get to work.

 **Team HERO…**

"Horatio!" Olivia shouted as Team HERO reunited with their leader. Despite their near-constant battle the Grimm still had them completely surrounded. Thankfully their presence seemed to be keeping the invaders focused on the area instead of spreading out into the city.

There was no time to talk, they had to do some damage until the reinforcements arrived from Beacon. The four situated themselves in front of the breach, where Grimm were still pouring inside the city.

"We need to seal the breach…Defiance against the Gods!" Horatio shouted, unable to hide his smile at the inclusion of their full team attack name.

Roland split his shield onto each arm, Horatio stood behind him with Esmerelda and Olivia protected between them. Esmerelda fell into a meditative stance, creating eight copies of her weapon hovering overhead, it was her limit and she could not maintain her aura while she had so many…but protecting her was Horatio and Roland's task now. Olivia poked her rifle out over their shoulders, ready for the Grimm's advance…and fired.

They surrounded and charged their position but their formation held, no new Grimm would get past them. Whether they charged at Roland or Horatio Team HERO stood their ground, Horatio clobbering any that came his way while Roland pushed them back until one of Esmerelda's Naginatas could come around and take their head off. Safely tucked between them Olivia had free reign to fire her rifle indiscriminately, no need to worry about evading or keeping out of their reach.

Esmerelda's eight weapon-clones swung majestically over their heads like an umbrella as she sat meditating behind their protective stance. With absolute focus she could command them to go wherever she chose with complete certainty she was safe as she did. Grimm bodies began to pile around them faster than they could disintegrate, none able to so much as dent their formation.

Zwei had followed Roland into the battlefield, it was clear he was no ordinary dog. No Grimm that challenged him stood a chance; a single head-butt from the beloved Corgi sent even the largest Beowolf smashing through a nearby wall. He leapt into the nearest cluster of Grimm and started tearing through them.

 **Team RWBY…**

Unfortunately, even with the numbers HERO was holding, many more flooded other portions of the street through smaller breaches and team RWBY was hard pressed to hold them back. Ruby had finished decapitating another Beowolf, turning to find her next target her eyes widened at the sight of a King Taijitu…a large serpent Grimm staring her down, roaring in challenge.

"NNoooooooorrrrraaaaaaaa SMASH!" Came the cheerful pink fighter shouting as she flew through the air atop her hammer, bringing it down upon the Taijitu's head, killing it instantly.

Looking up Ruby spotted a Bullhead hovering above, she saw it was indeed Bolt piloting. Nora had launched herself from the open hatch to reach the battle first. One by one Team JNPR dropped down into the battlefield starting with Jaune.

"Let's go!" Pyrrha shouted as they joined the fray, she and Ren flying into the nearest Grimm with Jaune close behind.

"Alright…who's first?" Jaune asked, seconds before an Ursa Major dropped seemingly out of nowhere directly behind him. In a flash it brought an enormous paw down on Jaune's head. Or it would have, had he not raised his shield in time, deflecting its claws expertly. With a mighty swing he cut clean through its neck, sending the Grimm toppling backwards.

Team JNPR was not alone, from the same Bullhead four new students led by Arslan of Team ABRN dropped into the battlefield.

"We got more coming from Beacon!" She shouted, sliding into a combat stance. "More Bullheads are scrambling, everyone who was still on campus are on their way and those that are close enough are being recalled!"

"Then we hold them here!" Ruby announced with renewed energy.

They did not need to wait long, looking up they could see backup had already arrived. Olivia and Esmerelda smiled at the familiar sight of an Atlesian Command Ship looming over the buildings. This time they had additional air support as dozens of Bullheads descended. Each one carried a squadron of Atlas Knights, mechanical soldiers similar to Dr. Merlot's androids. Created under the supervision of General Ironwood their purpose was to ensure as few living people were sent into combat as possible. The Bullheads began to launch their payload over the city; the knights falling by the dozens.

The knights swarmed the streets, fighting Grimm wherever they found them. It seemed Atlas had chosen quantity over quality as it often took many knights to bring down even simple Beowolves. It was no wonder they had created the larger Paladins. The Grimm gave as good as they took from the knights, mangled machinery and mechanical parts were scattered everywhere as the fighting intensified. Despite their fragile nature the assistance was greatly appreciated.

Along with the army of knights they had air support, massive Gatling guns fired into the Grimm horde, decimating their seemingly endless numbers.

Cinder had returned with the rest of her team, Emerald and Mercury tore into the Grimm that had nearly broken the police blockade. The entirety of Team SSSN was close behind proudly showing off their junior detective badges they had received from their senior Huntsman.

The Grimm were pushed back to the central park where they had started. No new forces had succeeded in entering Vale from the breach, Team HERO still held though clearly fatigued. Even Dr. Oobleck had emerged from the tunnels unscathed to join the fray.

By the time NDGO, CFVY and a half dozen other upperclassmen teams landed led by Ms. Goodwitch and Professor Port the battle had raged for the better part of the hour but at long last Grimm numbers seemed to be finally thinning. The latest reinforcements were the nail in the coffin for the assault. Coco shooting down a half dozen Nevermores with her Minigun handbag was the stylish finish she had become known for.

Roland finally relaxed as the last of the Grimm fled back into the breach. Already a team of Paladins were working to seal it back up to prevent further incursions. Olivia shook out her pockets and pouches scattered on her person, nearly every bullet she had was spent…it was a first time experience for her to come so close to empty. Esmerelda opened her eyes again, her weapons disintegrating as she did…only two remained of the original eight.

Horatio was still on edge, fists clenched ready for more to come at him…but none dared. They had fought so hard…and yet only had taken on a portion of those that broke through.

 _There were…so many._

Horatio had known that the Grimm were numerous…but this wasn't even the majority of those that roamed Mountain Glenn and the surrounding countryside…and they'd only won by pulling in nearly everything they could. Seeing was truly believing...he was visibly shaken.

 _We got lucky today…there HAS to be an alternative to just fighting them like this…there has to be…and I'm going to find it._

 **After the Battle…**

The last of the Grimm stragglers had been cleared; friends sought each other out after the battle. Civilian injuries had been low and as far as they could tell there were no Huntsman or Huntress casualties other than the heaping mounds of destroyed Atlesian Knights.

"Try to hold still," Roland stressed to Yang. Her aura had been depleted during the fighting and she'd been struck from behind pretty hard. "You'll be right as rain in a minute." Roland was massaging her back, both glowing blue with his aura as he healed her bruises.

"You are loving this, aren't you?" She asked with an annoyed grin, she usually didn't like being fawned over.

"Any chance to lessen your burdens, I've been told I also give excellent shoulder massages," he smiled. As the aura dimmed and went out Yang stretched her arms still amazed at the power of his semblance.

Roland stumbled forward slightly groaning in pain; Yang caught him in an instant.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Arm is just a bit sore, the Atlas Tech. must have taken a hit during the fight…I'm fine."

"Come on," Yang pushed, hooking Roland's right arm around her neck to support him. "They have medical personnel setting up shop nearby; they can take a look at it."

Cinder and Team CRMS had located Roman and the White Fang Lieutenant that Blake and Weiss had bested respectively and were handing them over to the authorities. Neo was nowhere to be found.

"O I can't believe that you caught me," Torchwick groaned sarcastically as Emerald and Mercury handed him over to the Altas Knights. "You've really taught me the error of my ways."

Emerald smacked him upside the head.

"Hey hey hey, watch the hat!"

Esmerelda and Olivia were watching the aftermath together awaiting the Bullheads return to ferry them all back to Beacon. In the wake of the attack all vacations and missions had been suspended pending assurances that Vale's defenses were restored.

"We did good today didn't we?" Olivia asked, her smile as bright as ever.

"We did," Esmerelda smiled. "Though I'm not sure Horatio thinks so."

The two saw their leader staring out over the destroyed park, knights and paladins and older Huntsman and Huntresses still scouring the area for any missed survivors, stray Grimm or more defeated White Fang. His face was much more serious than they were accustomed to; before they could do anything they noticed Ruby coming up behind him. She had just arrived from a meeting with her own team.

"Are…you ok?" Ruby asked, poking him in the arm to alert him to their presence.

"Just thinking," he smiled without turning to look at her. "Strategizing…the usual."

"Abooouuuttt?" She asked, giving him her big puppy eyes. Even she could tell there was more to it.

"I…guess I just learned today that one man cannot win a war," he admitted.

"Pfft, of course not," she remarked as if it was no big deal. "That's what you've got friends for."

He could only smile as they sat overlooking the city. She never failed to cheer him up…she must have a second Semblance.

"Thanks Ruby," he placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a gentle bear hug that he sorely needed.

"Oh…uh….thanks…um….I guess," Ruby stumbled over her words, unsure of how to react to his unexpected contact. Behind them Olivia and Esmerelda could only smile.

 **Ozpin's Office…**

"Ozpin….Ozpin!" Called a video message that had shimmered to life across his computer screen.

Ozpin took a bracing sip of coffee before turning back towards his desk from the window. "Yes, Councilman?"

"The Vytal Tournament cannot be broadcast…let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens."

Despite his words reflecting worry for the common folk his tone was anything but, likely more worried for disrupted timetables and pre-planned meetings. The Vale Council members were not known for their flexibility.

"Ahem," he continued. "Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council due to their aid in quelling this attack and together have decided that the best option is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event."

A small image of General Ironwood appeared in the top corner of the screen, slowly growing until it encompassed much of the monitor.

"Thank you Councilman," Ironwood bowed respectfully. "Our Kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure the event runs as smoothly…and safely as possible."

"And we thank you General."

"Will that be all?" Ozpin asked, his voice betraying just a hint of annoyance. The Council had never been fond of his appointment at Beacon Academy, but his…impressive experience left them with little choice in the matter.

"For now," the Councilman warned, the friendly tone he had given with Ironwood's appointment a moment ago completely gone. "But after this Festival comes to a close we are going to have a SERIOUS discussion regarding your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports these last few weeks have left us somewhat…concerned."

 _James…all I needed was some more time…_

The Vale Council feed disconnected as they ended the call, General Ironwood's face now taking up the entirety of the screen.

"This is the right move Oz," he assured him. "I promise…I will keep our people safe, you have to trust me." Without awaiting an answer he ended the call as well.

Ozpin spun his chair back towards the window, how had things degraded so much so quickly?

 _I do trust your intentions James,_ Ozpin thought. He wanted to believe, but he had known James since he was a boy. When he was certain in himself he had resolve greater than many he knew…but it also made him sloppy…predictable when he would fall into Atlas discipline and procedures. _I have no doubt you will do everything to protect our people…the question is if that is exactly what the enemy wants…_

 **Ironwood's Airship, Prisoner holding…**

General Ironwood approached the cell of their latest…'guest,' the twin guards saluting as he neared the door.

"Leave us," he commanded. Without a word the two complied and moved further down the hall.

The prisoner raised his head, he looked quite miserable…though not as miserable as Ironwood would have liked. Despite the accommodations his sneer rarely faded from his face…it was that look Ironwood had come to despise from Roman Torchwick.

"Come to return my hat?" Roman asked snidely, rubbing the top of his bare head of red hair.

"I've been informed that so far you've refused to cooperate with the authorities," Ironwood began the interrogation, ignoring his question.

"I…know this might be hard to believe General but uh…I'm not the biggest fan of law enforcement." He was acting as sarcastic as ever.

"How about the world's strongest military power?" Ironwood corrected, crossing his arms proudly.

"First impressions?" Torchwick smiled as he glanced around the cell and down the hall. "Not great."

"I'm going to give you…ONE chance," Ironwood threatened, his voice bereft of any kindness. "Who's REALLY behind all this?"

Ironwood was no fool; he knew full well that Roman was a small time dust runner. Working with the White Fang…orchestrating Grimm attacks on Vale…these were not his MO. Clearly someone bigger had hired him to carry out these attacks…or threatened him. Ironwood was hoping it was the latter, then protection against them could be used as leverage for information.

"You really want to know General?" Roman leaned in close, beckoning the General to do the same. Ironwood slowly leaned closer, ready for answers.

"You're looking at him!" Roman suddenly exclaimed loudly, leaning back into his cell with a big grin.

Ironwood only chuckled as he stood back to his full height. "Very well then," with that final word her turned to walk away down the hall, no further chances would be given. "Be sure to make yourself comfortable…we will have all the time to…talk."

Ironwood approached the two guards he had bidden to leave, commanding them to return to their post. "Ensure he is looked after."

The guards saluted proudly, taking up position in front of the door again. The first guard glanced into the cell at him curiously for a moment. Even from a glance Roman could tell it was a woman, the armor almost completely hiding this fact; Roman was never a fan of the design for that reason. With a mischievous grin he relaxed for the duration, confident in the knowledge that no one else had witnessed her eyes shimmer pink and brown for a brief instant.

 **Overlooking the City…**

"All in all, I'd call today a resounding success." Cinder announced proudly to Emerald and Mercury, the three standing atop a building overseeing the battle.

 _In more ways than one,_ she thought about her revelation of Horatio's semblance. _But there's no need to let them know just yet…it can be...my little secret._

"Those stupid kids really made a mess of things," Emerald chuckled. "They all put up quite a fight."

"Yea," Mercury agreed. "A lot of Faunus didn't make it out of those tunnels. You still think the White Fang's gonna listen to us?"

"No," a deep voice announced behind them.

Turning around they saw a tall red-haired Faunus, his face was hidden behind a white Grimm mask. He had small black horns protruding from his hair, his vest and pants matched their color. He had a long sword at his hip; he never removed his hand from it.

"But they WILL listen to me."

 **Volume 2 draws to a close, an unsteady victory for our heroes…confidences broken and revelations that not all things are certain…**

 **I will still continue into the next volume, however updates may be a bit further apart. There was so much about Volume 3 that has potential for new events and I want each chapter to be perfect. But rest assured this tale will continue, please let me know if a RWBY: HERO Chibi would be wanted for off weeks. As always, Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy. :)**


	22. Opening Moves

**Another on time update! :) I wanted to get it in before my Birthday, enjoy the beginning of the Vytal Festival!**

 **Peace has returned to Beacon, though it is a charade, a mirror waiting to shatter at any moment, will our heroes be ready when the shadows come to claim them? As always a big thank you to everyone reading and enjoying my tale :).**

"Aaaannnnnd pencils down students!" Professor Oobleck called out. A collective exhale spread through the class followed soon by many students face planting into the desks.

"Yang I don't want to be a Huntress anymore," Ruby cried into her desk, her big sister just patting her on the back reassuringly.

"I'm sure we both did fine," she smiled. "Those hours studying with everyone didn't go to waste at least."

"All hope is lost, nothing will be left when the ashes of our future are blown to the winds," this one was Horatio showing off his melodramatic side.

"Not…HELPING," Yang whispered through gritted teeth.

Esmerelda smacked him upside the head, snapping him back to reality. "You will survive."

"How Ezzy?" He asked as the class started to file out of the room. "Those questions lacked necessary information and you know it! Asking us the "best" possible strategy for dealing with an Alpha Beowolf among a pack without also including terrain or climate information is subjective...SUBJECTIVE!"

"That's why they gave us two hundred words to explain our answer."

"Pfft, barely enough to give a single scenario…"

Esmerelda and the others chuckled as Horatio continued ranting on the 'unfairness' of such questions. He had probably done just fine; she had no idea why he was as worried as the scenario essays were his only trouble. He breezed through the History of Remnant and Subspecies of Grimm portions. His grades would survive the long break.

Esmerelda noticed Horatio glancing around the halls as they left the room; no doubt looking for Cinder's face in the crowd…once again she was not there. She would never say it but the love of his life and her team had been oddly absent after classes more often since the breach the previous week. Whereas Cinder and Horatio had been practically attached at the hip before, she hadn't seen them together once since that day. Horatio had noticed as well though he was equally silent about it.

The breach had been cleared and sealed, Vale defenses were on high alert for further incursions but it had been a resounding victory, they even allowed the Vytal Festival to continue uninterrupted to boost morale in the wake of the attack. Despite that, a sense of anxiety remained about Horatio since that day. He had taken to working at his desk at all hours even when there were no assignments and was relaxing far less; the absence of Cinder certainly was not helping it.

 _He's worried she's avoiding him…but why would she?_

Team JNPR exited their class, clearly in the same boat as Horatio. Jaune walked out, his head in his hands with Pyrrha reassuringly patting his back, Ren was doing the same for Nora in an identical pose close behind.

"Aaawww why do you need to know the difference in patrol patterns between an Ursa and an Ursa Major?" Nora groaned. "You're just going to flatten both of them anyway."

"Or the potential transformation variations of Geists!?" This one was Jaune.

"No sense in worrying now," Ren explained. "Our tribulations are over and it is time to remember what we have to be thankful for."

"And that is?" Jaune asked.

Even Ren allowed a smile to grace his face as he reminded them.

"That we have our friends, our health…and a long upcoming break with the Vytal Festival Opening Ceremonies beginning in an hour.

 **Team CRMS Dormitory…**

Cinder shifted through the data again on each student who had entered their names into the Vytal Tournament Database…she was not impressed.

 _Child's play, how can the sheep not see who would obviously win each confrontation…_

Her scroll buzzed, interrupting the session to show a picture of Horatio on her phone, he was calling again. His picture selected was the one taken at the end of the school dance; it was a close-up of his face. Had it been the full version she would have been visible by his side.

Cinder looked at the scroll for a moment before placing the buzzing on mute. Glancing over towards the chest near her bed she saw the patch of feathers she occasionally wore with her dress protruding from it. A glimmer now resided in the center as the black gem Horatio had given with her corsage had been set amidst them. The flowers had wilted since the dance…but the gem glimmered as brightly as ever…it seemed a shame to waste it.

At least, that is what Cinder had told herself when she chose to work it into her clothing. She only shook her head, going back to work as his call was sent to messaging.

 _I know his secret,_ she told herself. School relationships were notoriously fickle…it would not draw undo attention to herself before the Tournament finals to drift apart. _I…have no reason to continue the façade any longer…he means nothing to me now._

"That's a lie and you know it."

Cinder spun around, confused at the apparent response to her internal thought. It was only after turning that she realized it was Emerald…talking to Mercury.

"Me…lie?" He asked, acting hurt that she would even suggest a thing. "Never."

"There is no way you read that entire book, it doesn't have a single picture."

"So? I can skim with the best and get the gist of it. I read all of the good parts anyway…I can describe them to prove it."

Emerald groaned, she had punched him enough for the day and seemed to judge another wouldn't be worth it. "We are heading out," she reported. "The last should be arriving today…Cinder...are you ok?"

Cinder realized she was still staring at Emerald; nonchalantly she recomposed herself and returned to the scroll.

"I'm fine; once your task is complete you are free for the day."

"So generous," Mercury smiled. "The lineup for the Tournament must be even better than we thought."

"And getting better," Cinder smirked, her previous focus having returned as she scrolled past the names. "So many options…"

 **Opening Ceremonies…**

"Let the festivities…begin!" Olivia cried, shooting off a small firecracker lost amidst the pyrotechnics being used as the first day off the long awaited Vytal Festival commenced.

Team HERO stood together, each one wearing an extravagant costume in preparation for the Festival. Getting to walk the grounds like this was part of the charm of the celebrations and they had all agreed to wear them each day they weren't competing in the Tournament.

Horatio was wearing recreated armor of the old Knights of Vale minus the helmet, Weiss mentioned once owning a suit in the same style, it wasn't real steel of course but he looked the part nonetheless.

Olivia's outfit appeared to have once been a beautiful purple Mistral lady-in waiting gown; however it was clear she had made…modifications. As with her normal gear the shoulders had been cut out for greater range of movement. The same was true for the skirt which normally would have encircled her legs down to the ankles, now it only covered the immediate front, the sides having been adjusted to be open and no longer reached her knees.

Esmerelda was up next, she had a leather ensemble used by ancient archers of Atlas according to Horatio. She wore a leather Gambeson in the colors of white and blue, the matching shoulder guards had a thin metal chain connecting them across the back and chest. Leg guards went up nearly to her upper thighs, stopping just short and leaving the top of her legs bare beneath a short skirt. Despite Horatio's claim they were never used she had also donned a large deep yellow Vacuo drape she displayed proudly over her right shoulder.

Roland had selected a regal officer uniform not too dissimilar from General Ironwood's. This one however was from the days of Old Vacuo and was bright gold. The officer bars at the top shimmered silver in the sunlight, for once he stood as tall and erect as he could without being forced.

The Festival had it all, and they wanted to see it all, they knew they had to stay away from the bazaar or they'd run out of lien FAST. They each had pamphlets with details on what would be occurring next, how they would hit them all was a mystery.

"Hunter Chess….NOW!" Horatio grunted out, his eyes shining with stars. It was an event hosted by the Atlas exchange students in which they would play a game of chess…only the pieces were actual students participating. According to the schedule it would be starting shortly.

"Ok…" Roland agreed. "But only if we get to view the Atlas Figurine stalls next. We can pick up Olivia's Paladin while we're there."

The team was so focused on reaching the Hunter Chess arena they did not hear the soft sound of gallops behind them until it was too late. Without warning a black shape tackled Roland to the ground, it was so large he couldn't even be seen anymore. They could hear slurping sounds coming from the beast.

 _Roland!_ Esmerelda thought, angry they didn't have their weapons. _Is that a Grimm? How'd it get into the fairgrounds? It's enormous! If we don't think of something fast it's going to…lick him…to death?_

"Down girl…DOWN!" Roland screamed as the giant form continued to vigorously lick his face occasionally fitting Roland's entire head in its mouth. Thankfully it was obviously in a playful fashion. "DOWN ELF…DOWN!"

The great beast leapt back, taking a sitting position in front of Roland still panting heavily. Even sitting she was over five feet tall. They now spotted a bright red collar linked around its neck complete with ID tags.

"That's a dog?" Olivia asked

"That's YOUR dog?" Horatio stared wide-eyed, recognizing the name. The 'dog' as Roland insisted on calling it was enormous. It looked just like a Labrador…but with its size it may have been mistaken for a lion…a big lion.

"Hey there girl!" Roland greeted, petting the monstrous Labrador behind the ears. She was still panting heavily, licking his hands and face when it got close enough. "What are you doing here?" His eyes suddenly widened at the realization. "Wait…if you're here…does that mean they're…?"

On cue two smaller forms tackled Roland to the side, flattening him into the ground face first; this time he simply laid there like a log…he knew what was coming.

"Found you!" The first attacker shouted.

"No one can hide from Elf!" The second joined in, their voices almost identical.

Esmerelda got a look at the new 'attackers.' They were both girls that couldn't have been older than eleven, clearly too young to be going to any Huntsman Academy. They were almost identical in appearance though one had selected a ponytail while the other had her hair cut short. They had matching beige dresses like something worn to church.

"Long time no see," Roland greeted, his voice muffled as he was still face-planted into the ground beneath them. "Enjoying the Festival?"

The two girls got up, pulling him to a sitting position by each arm.

"Well," Roland started with an awkward smile. "These are my teammates I told you about, Horatio, Esmerelda and Olivia."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Olivia welcomed while Horatio and Esmerelda bowed low. "Who are you?"

"Are you guys alright?" Team RWBY suddenly rushed around the corner. They were also weaponless per the Festival rules but seemed ready to fight nonetheless. "We heard there was a large beast reported in the area…"

They froze upon seeing the 'beast' sitting up in front of Roland. Elf was currently pawing his back playfully as he was trapped between two girls. The two immediately glared daggers at Yang, realizing who she was from her unmistakable golden hair.

"Is that her?" Cinnamon asked, her face locking seriously with Roland's.

"She…is," he admitted after a brief silence, he groaned fearing what was to come. "Yang…everyone…these are my little sisters Cinnamon and Casey. The horrific beast is our family dog Elf." He motioned between them, specifying that the one with the ponytail was Casey and the other with short hair was Cinnamon.

"What a sweetie," Yang smiled, scratching Elf under the chin, eliciting her to start scratching instinctively, her giant paw thumping against the ground. "She can be a playmate for Zwei."

The girls, with surprising strength, rushed in front of her, dragging Roland along the way.

"Um…hello? Nice to…meet you." Yang greeted, growing nervous with how they were looking at her. The two released Roland, suddenly standing up straight with their hands behind their backs, their apparent maturity skyrocketing by years.

"We have heard disturbing reports that you wish to court our older brother," Cinnamon started as she adjusted non-existent glasses.

"Most disturbing indeed," Casey continued, mimicking her movements. "We will ensure that you are appropriate material suitable for one of his quality."

"Court him?" Yang asked. It was so old fashioned.

Ruby, Blake and Weiss did not quite know what to make of the situation; they looked on in confusion at the unexpected interview.

"Please don't," Roland begged as he hid his face in embarrassment.

 _Please stop imitating dad…please…_

"Please be aware that we will be monitoring your activities with our brother for the duration of the Vytal Festival," Cinnamon continued. "Our standards are quite high and if you do not match what we feel is suitable for a woman deserving of him we will not give our blessing to continue seeing him in a romantic capacity."

Yang was clearly trying to retain her composure, almost failing at holding in her laughter. The two girls were absolutely adorable in their perceived ownership of Roland. "I think I can handle it."

"Do not take our requirements lightly," Cinnamon warned. "We can be brutal…strict…but should you pass…"

Roland conked the two girls on the head with each fist, knocking the maturity out of their heads. "Hey! That hurt!" Cinnamon wailed, looking up at him with the biggest eyes that put even Ruby's to shame.

"Do mom and dad know you two are here?"

"Well…they know we're here…at the Vytal Festival…Elf was ordered to watch us while they checked into the hotel. We just asked her to look for you while we were here…"

Roland kneeled, patting each of them gently on the head. "Please be nice to Yang, she's good I promise you...she's the best in fact."

"We can vouch for her!" Ruby pulled Weiss and Blake together with a big smile…though Weiss' and Blake's' looked very awkward as they nodded.

"But she could be deceiving you with her good looks!" Casey exclaimed.

"Awww, thank you," Yang appreciated the unintended compliment.

"If you two are nice to her…I will let you come with us to Hunter Chess. You are too young to join but you can watch...otherwise I can have Elf carry you back to the hotel...my authority supersedes yours."

Their eyes lit up, Esmerelda guessed they must have been big chess fans.

"I…suppose we can delay our observations…temporarily," Cinnamon acquiesced.

"Just don't get too mad when I kick his butt at every event they have this year," Yang grinned mischievously.

Roland sighed as the girls went into a tirade towards Yang on the proper etiquette of letting the boy win…Yang debated them on it almost all the way to the event.

 **Main Fairgrounds…**

"I am happy to report disturbances are at a low sir," Penny saluted to General Ironwood. He had asked her to ensure nothing out of the ordinary occurred for the opening ceremonies as it was one of the more sensitive times of the Festival.

"Any disturbances beyond past Festival norms?"

"Negative sir. There have been five instances of disorderly conduct, two of which led to a confrontation but all parties have been removed from the premises by security forces. There was a single instance of a potential Grimm sighting but it was determined to be a retired Dire-Labrador from the Lancer Corp."

"That is…good to hear," Ironwood smiled. "You are relieved for the duration and may partake of the festivities."

Penny looked at the General confused. "But…I still have five hours of my shift remaining sir."

"Consider it leave time," he stressed again with a smile. "You've yet to use a single minute to date and have accumulated quite the sum."

"As…you wish sir," Penny gave in hesitantly. "I believe Mr. Coal and Ms. Katt are hosting an event today. Perhaps I could partake with Cam." She turned to a girl in an Atlas student uniform wearing a blue beret. "Would you like to accompany me as well Ms. Soleil?"

"I've never been one for spending frivolous time," Ciel Soleil replied. She was a member of Penny's team, to her disappointment all of them held a similar disposition. They preferred their military duties over personal activities. They were nothing like Ruby. "I would also like to remind you and the General of our training session at 1700 hours."

"Of course," Ironwood admitted. "Penny…you are free until that time, dismissed."

 **Hunter Chess**

"Pawn to King's Bishop Four," Mercury called out as he dramatically held his hand forward as if to guide the student to their position.

Cardin advanced grumbling, still upset he had been selected as a pawn. The Hunter Chess event had started just as Team HERO and RWBY arrived and teams were selected. Everyone participating was given prop weapons suitable to their piece. The King and Queen had scepters, spears for the pawns, swords for the knights, Staves for the bishops and hammers for the rooks.

On the White half of the board Flynt Coal and Neon Katt of Team FNKI from Atlas worked as the King and Queen while Mercury and Emerald had been selected to represent Mistral on the Black side. Team RWBY had been able to stay together as white pieces with Ruby selected as a knight, Weiss as a bishop, Yang as a rook and Blake volunteered to be a pawn.

Team HERO had not been so lucky, Olivia, Roland and Esmerelda succeeded in joining the white team as a bishop, rook and pawn respectively; however there was no room left for Horatio. He was forced to join the other side as a black knight. Roland was just thankful he was on Yang's team so that his sisters didn't see them compete.

Flynt Coal and Neon Katt looked over the board from their side of the field, conversing on the next best step.

"King's knight…to King's Bishop three!" Flynt finally shouted.

Ruby smiled widely as she took a step forward, gripping her sword as she looked across the field menacingly.

"Queen's knight to…." Emerald glanced out over the field. "Queen's rook three."

Horatio complied as he advanced to the square, looking across the field he was directly opposite Blake's pawn location. He waved awkwardly with his sword.

"Gunning for anyone in particular?" Yang asked Blake, she was positioned as the rook directly behind her leaning on her prop hammer.

"Um…aren't we supposed to just be having fun?" Blake asked as the game continued around them.

"Taking people out IS fun," Yang assured her. "It's just too bad we have to wait for orders from higher up."

"Pawn to Queen's rook four," Neon cheered.

Blake waved goodbye to Yang as she stepped forward two spaces, putting her next to Ren who had…unexpectedly…been chosen as a pawn.

"Queen's knight takes Queen's knight five."

Horatio stepped up to Ren, bowing in apology. "Sorry Ren," he lightly smacked him in the chest with his fake sword. Ren only bowed in return with a smile before taking his leave.

"You're mine Soplar!" Came a shout from across the board. Nora shook her fake sword a look of pure rage etched on her face. Horatio was suddenly thankful she was on the opposite side of the field.

"You will suffer the decisions of your ruler," Esmerelda smirked. She was not far from Horatio as another pawn.

Horatio groaned. "Do you think she at least knows that knights CAN'T jump across the field and murder another piece at will?"

"Queen's bishop to Queen's knight three," Neon called out. Weiss stepped up diagonally, the move clearly designed to get her out of Horatio's striking range as he now had Blake to one side and Weiss in front of him. None of them could move without setting up the others up to be attacked.

"Hi Weiss," Horatio smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about slaying your comrade…total mistake I swear."

Weiss only glared at his attempt at humor…it would be a long game.

The match continued while the three were in their stalemate, each giving as good as they got. Yang was somewhat stranded behind Blake though Neon eventually moved her up to try and maneuver her out of the corner.

"Queen's Bishop takes Queen Five!" Flynt shouted.

"But…" Neon started but it was too late.

Weiss glided across the board, bringing her staff on the woman's shoulders. With a frown she left the board.

"Queen's knight takes Queen Four," Emerald smiled.

At first Horatio thought that Flynt had completely missed that by taking the pawn Weiss had stepped right into an attack by Horatio. But he could not help but notice the Atlas student smiling proudly as Horatio stepped up to Weiss, poking her in the stomach with his sword.

"Sorry," he apologized again with a bow as Weiss glared him daggers.

 _He sacrificed Weiss on purpose._

"King's knight…takes Queen Five," Flynt smiled, crossing his arms and tilting up his fedora.

Ruby skipped along to Horatio's square, the previous move now clearly a feint to take out a knight.

"Sorry," Ruby smiled as she also poked Horatio in the chest. "Have to avenge my BFF."

"Et tu…Ruby?" Horatio asked, holding out his hand to her dramatically. With a groan he slumped forward but stayed standing…remaining in his "dead" position he shuffled off the field as the game continued.

"Serves you right," Weiss chided, crossing her arms with a huff.

"In that case they all will deserve it by the end," Horatio admonished. "Sacrifice one piece to take an opponent's…whoever wins won't have many pieces left by the end.

"Well…it's chess," Weiss explained. "Unless your opponent is a complete novice it is unlikely they will leave their pieces open without setting up a trap. Emerald and Mercury seem way better at it."

"Unless you play the VERY long game," he theorized. "Then I'm sure you could find SOME way to win with minimal losses."

Horatio just watched more students leave the field as they were defeated, the numbers dwindling fast.

 _Just throwing your pieces at an enemy looking at the big picture only…the old King of Vale who had invented the Huntsman institutions must have been an avid chess player._

 **Ozpin's Office…**

Ozpin sighed at his desk overlooking the school, since he had been relieved of authority over the Vytal Festival security he had considerably more time on his hands. He found himself tapping his unique cane against the floor more and more.

Turning in his chair he glanced at the nearby wall where Mr. Soplar's portrait from the dance now hung. It was expertly made as was expected; he was quite surprised how much the young man was able to fit into the frame. Ozpin could pick out just about everyone who was present at the time.

And of course, he had included himself and Ms. Fall dancing to the side, her back facing the frame with Horatio's face sporting an enormous smile.

Ozpin allowed a smile to form; he'd have some happy memories at least.

His computer let out a series of quick beeps signaling he was receiving a call.

"Good afternoon Leo," Ozpin greeted his old friend. "Long time no see, how are things at Haven?"

"Calmer now that my best students have left for the Vytal Festival," he chuckled awkwardly as he took a sip of tea. "There is hardly anything to do here until the Festival ends."

Leonardo Lionheart, the Headmaster of Haven Academy in Mistral. He was a Faunus of the Lion persuasion, having a great mane of once-blonde gray hair around his head melding perfectly into his impressive beard. Ozpin never thought that Leo would want to be a Headmaster but he'd taken the job for the stability after their…active youth. Leo assured him he was alright but his health seemed to be in a slow but steady decline, even now he looked gaunter then even the last time he saw him though admittedly that had been far too long.

"I remember from the last Festival," Ozpin chuckled, reminiscing to several dull weeks two years prior. "To what do I owe the pleasure of the call?"

"Just wanted to say hi to an old friend," the lion Faunus smiled. "And to offer condolences on…the council's decision."

"James always was an excellent public speaker," Ozpin admitted. "Were it not for the fleet at his back he probably would be much better than I at making the people more at ease."

"Still…if there is anything I can do to h-help you just let me know," he persisted. Leo always did have a strong will to please.

"I will," Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "It depends how well your students perform here at the Festival. Ms. Goodwitch has spoken highly of Team CRMS' performance."

Leo started coughing, clearly having swallowed some of his tea wrong, Ozpin gave him the time he needed to clear his airways. "O-of course, they are fine students, good lads and lasses…some of the best we…"

"You have no idea which students they are do you?" Ozpin started to laugh though stopped upon seeing his friend's face, he looked positively pale. "Leo…it's alright, Haven has the largest pool of attending students in Remnant. I did warn you not to leave ALL the administrative work to your staff."

"O-of c-course," he stuttered, seeming to calm down somewhat. "I-I'll just need to find their transcripts, I know I have them around here somewhere."

"At the very least you should familiarize yourself with the teams participating in the tournament. It would be quite embarrassing for them to win and their Headmaster to be unaware of their names. I would say they have a good chance from what I've seen though my students won't give up without a fight…literally."

He chuckled again, Leo joining him hesitantly this time. It was nice seeing Leo unwind, he had become far too high strung in recent years. Perhaps James taking over wouldn't be so bad, it freed up his itinerary to have this pleasant conversation…

 **Back at the Chess Match…**

The match neared its conclusion, Casey and Cinnamon being the most vocal of the White Side's cheer squad though they died down after Roland was eliminated by Emerald and Yang soon followed.

Esmerelda and Blake watched from the sides, Emerald and Mercury were the only ones remaining on their side…but Flynt was the only piece left on the white side by this point and was doing little more than working to keep away from their assault.

"It's over," Blake surmised.

"Basically," Esmerelda agreed. "Can't say they didn't put up a good fight at least."

Penny and Cameron were also watching from the sidelines, having arrived too late to participate but wanted to watch their friends nonetheless. Fortunately for the poor man's nerves she did not have her armed escort.

"Think we'll face each other in the tournament?" Esmerelda finally asked as Mercury moved to cut off Flynt's retreat.

"More than likely," Blake replied. "I hear they try to keep students from the same school from facing each other early on…but late in the tournament most certainly. "We may need to recruit those two considering how easily they incapacitated Roland."

Not far from the chess board Cinnamon and Casey were pulling on Roland's arm. They were sitting atop Elf who could easily carry both while Roland and Yang walked alongside them heading towards the Atlas stalls. Olivia was with them, no doubt ecstatic she would finally have her Paladin model she'd been waiting for.

"Please don't, that would be cheating." The two giggled at the thought. "Speaking of which, are any family of yours coming in to watch the tournament?"

Blake lowered her head solemnly. "No…they haven't left Menagerie in a long time."

"Mine too; my Grandmother wasn't too happy with me joining combat school. She probably wanted me to stay on that island forever."

Blake glanced at Esmerelda confused, the isle of Menagerie had been given to the Faunus and there were not many humans living there that she was aware of except possibly Kingdom Representatives. "Who is…?"

"Hey there vanquished foes," Mercury called out, waving them down as he and Emerald approached.

"Be nice Mercury," Emerald chuckled, still savoring their victory. "You guys did VERY well."

"We were victorious in the end," Horatio was close behind, having watched from the Black side stands until the end. "Sorry Ezzy."

"It was all fun," she shook it off. "Hope its ok but the others kind of split up to hit the stalls. Blake and I will be getting something to eat…want to come with?"

"Sounds like a plan, I gotta make a call first."

Emerald glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. With his hesitation and nervousness she knew who he would be calling…again.

"We'll be heading back to the room," Emerald jumped in. "Cinder wasn't feeling well so we were getting something for her."

Horatio's reaction was adorable, his face lighting up at the words she had been under the weather…no doubt explaining in his mind her recent absence.

"Is…she alright?" He asked.

"Just fatigue, might be a cold or something. She said she'd be catching up on projects later so she should be up and about in around an hour."

"Ah…" he nodded his head in understanding. "Tell her I hope she feels better. So…where did you two want to eat? I know this FANTASTIC noodle stand." He asked, turning to Blake and Esmerelda…no longer interested in the call he was about to make.

 _Knew it, he was going to call her. Mentioning that she'd be up in an hour will buy time to reach the room and give a heads up before he goes through with it._

Mercury glanced over at a group of barrels being wheeled in. Large crosses were marked on the side symbolizing medical supplies. Nodding to one another Emerald slipped alongside the last two, carefully she rapped on the side of the first one, a dull thud answered her. She shook her head, clearly not what she was looking for.

She leaned against the next barrel and knocked on it again. This time a sloshing noise accompanied by a sound similar to a bubble popping could be heard, with a content smile she made her way back to Mercury.

"That's just about the last of them, that's one set in every major sector of Beacon."

"Great, we can give a perfect report to our terrifying leader. But before then, lets follow the dweebs…I am starving!"

 **Team CRMS Dormitory…**

Cinder scrolled through the "random" generator that would be used to match up teams for the upcoming tournament. It was easy enough to determine who would win in each confrontation…with the right two people facing each other in the finals…

The door to their room slid open as Emerald and Mercury returned from their excursion. Neo had remained at the fairgrounds as Ray to keep an eye on everyone when she wasn't infiltrating Ironwood's troops to watch over Roman.

"Well?" She asked, setting down her scroll.

"The shipments are arriving as scheduled." Mercury reported. "As requested they were dispersed across other incoming supplies for the Festival and are being placed in storage facilities around the school…seamless and easy."

"Excellent," Cinder smiled; even with the school on alert and an Atlesian Air Fleet nearby they were woefully unprepared for them. "We should not need them, but if necessary they will serve their purpose."

"You should get out some before we burn it to the ground," Mercury offered, taking a bite of a drumstick in his hands. "The food is not half bad, way better than the rock hard bread they've been serving in the cafeteria."

"A waste of time and energy," she blew off his proposal as she returned to the scroll. Mercury only shrugged as he turned to Emerald.

"Maybe WE should go to that play tomorrow," giving a clearly forced suave smile. "They are selecting couples to fill the titular roles. You could be the sleeping Princess; I always said you'd be way cuter if you spoke less."

Emerald wound her fist up ready to punch him again.

"What? With Beacon's hottest new couple out of commission SOMEONE has to do it!"

Emerald cringed, glancing subtly towards Cinder. He was clearly referring to her and Horatio whom she had apparently lost interest in since the breach…just what happened between those two? After his team's performance during the battle how could she act like he was nothing or at the very least no longer a threat?

"It's for the best Em," Mercury lowered his voice though Emerald was certain Cinder could still hear. "You said so yourself that getting him to our side before the end of the Festival was a long shot. This way she stops before going too far and causing a mess. Your idea to tell lover boy that she's under the weather can work all the way up to D-day."

Cinder's scroll buzzed, interrupting her session of determining the first round of fighters. She stared at the screen for several seconds only answering it two rings before it would send to her messages.

"Hello," she answered. It was clearly Horatio based on the softer tone of her reply. "I…did not mean to worry you. I was feeling unwell after the battle but am much better now. Tomorrow?" She turned and glanced at Mercury and Emerald before replying. "That sounds agreeable; I will come by your room then. Oh, then I will meet you at the stall, I remember where you set up…I…you too."

Emerald's jaw was on the floor as Cinder sauntered out of the room, the door sliding slowly closed behind her.

"She…said yes?"

"Checkmate," Mercury smirked, taking another bite of drumstick. "You two think I'm a moron but I know a thing or two."

"Explain fast moron."

"She needs to just chill sometimes, way too serious with our line of work. So what's the best way to…coerce our terrifying leader into doing something? Make her think…that I think…it's a good idea." His smile widened as he put strong emphasis on the 'I.' "Sure fire way to make her attempt any other option."

Emerald was awe struck, who knew Mercury knew what psychology meant let alone reverse psychology. "You know you may have just set them on a path Cinder tried to avoid?"

"I know…but his teammate helped you against that mutated freak Beowolf right? So I guess I owed him a little…also this way there's a better chance of me getting a real rematch."

 _Wow, maybe he's not so bad,_ Emerald thought as she gave Mercury the rare pleasure of one of her genuine smiles.

 **The Vytal Festival has finally begun, our heroes lulled into a false sense of joy and peace as they celebrate with their friends and family. But not all is calm even on the side of those seeking their downfall. Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy :).**

 **P.S….that chess match was aggravating to get right lol, if any chess experts find fault with it I humbly apologize.**


	23. Wherefore Art Thou Cinder Fall

**The Vytal Festival continues, our heroes unknowingly spending the last peaceful days among friends. Love and hope strive to burn through the shadows looming over the school...but is it too late to turn the tide?**

"Almost done…don't…move…yet," Horatio requested as he put the finishing touches on the portrait.

Nebula Violette stood proudly before him, resting one hand on her hip while the other held her crossbow weapon over a shoulder pointing at the sky. She was grinning smugly.

Horatio's stall for personal portraits had opened first thing in the morning now that the second day of the Festival had arrived. He barely had time to set up before his first customer had arrived. The line had grown longer than he ever anticipated, forcing him to locate signs dictating a wait time from a certain point past his stall.

Nebula was the team captain of the NDGO team from Shade Academy in Vacuo. Like RWBY, hers was an all-women team and were well known for being quite skilled as he had heard around the exchange students.

Her name was clearly well earned as her hair was a deep indigo color with her jacket being a slightly lighter shade of purple. Beneath it she wore a tight gray shirt with leather bandoliers and pants a darker shade.

"Take your time," she replied. "Octavia gave you a glowing review; I had to see it for myself."

Horatio smiled at the compliment, her teammate Octavia Ember had been one of his earliest patrons that day having stumbled across his stall by accident while exploring the fairgrounds before breakfast.

The line around his stall had thankfully shortened since the morning between completing portraits and a small sign he had placed explaining that it would be closing shortly so that he could see the upcoming play with his team. It certainly helped that Nebula's team were the ones performing it.

"Does your team routinely perform plays back at Shade?" Horatio asked. He had never left Mistral in his life much less seen Vacuo's Huntsman Academy.

"You're looking at the Theater Club Chief right here," she announced proudly. "To be honest the Tournament is secondary for my team. Getting a chance to perform and showcase our class to the world…that is what has me so excited this year. Don't even think of skipping out."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Horatio laughed. "My team will be coming by for sure; I have time for one more after you before then."

Horatio put a few final touches on his work, Nebula regaling him with stories of her team in Vacuo, he would have to exchange scroll numbers with them before the end of the Festival.

"Aaandd…what do you think?" He spun the easel around, letting her see the completed work.

Nebula's eyes lit up, his work was as beautiful as she had heard. He had used a more serious tone for the work per her request and she looked ready for battle. Despite this tone, the smile had a playful feel, like the battle would be a brawl between siblings free of serious consequences. The tarp she had selected for the backdrop was of a mountain chain as it was her team's preferred terrain. With the point of view selected it appeared she was atop another mountain peak looking out across the rest.

"It's fantastic," she gushed as she reached into her bandolier. "How much do I owe you?"

"Oh no money," Horatio clarified. He held his hands out in front of himself, begging her to put the lien back. "I wouldn't dream of charging for them during the Festival. You can repay me with an amazing performance!"

Horatio never recalled his mother charging for her work, he especially didn't want to ask any money of fellow Huntsman and Huntresses. He had planned to ask for stories from his patrons, which would be enough. If he ever made a career out of it he could approach the subject later.

Nebula put the money back, a big smile on her face. "You got a deal," she held out her hand, the two giving a powerful shake of respect.

"Speaking of which, you can't go before I give you this."

Horatio produced a smaller portrait of Team NDGO in the same style he had done CRMS' weeks earlier. He'd finished all of the Vytal Tournament group portraits the previous week and distributed them to each respective team but hadn't gotten to meet NDGO before that day. He couldn't find pictures of Penny's team other than herself to use as reference…he would have to ask her about them later.

"It's…a little something to remember your time here at Beacon, however brief it may be."

 _I am sooo finding a way to repay him for this. You really do meet all kinds of people at Beacon…_

"Ahem," the next one in line cleared their throat loudly, clearly growing a tad impatient to begin.

"Sorry Emerald, we can begin now. What did you…?"

Behind Emerald he spotted black, his eyes gliding over to its source. Sure enough, Cinder had emerged from behind the shops in the distance making her way towards him dressed in her wrappings and leather vest combat attire. He almost feared he was seeing things again; without drawing attention he prepared a fresh easel, not wanting to give his hopes up if he was.

Emerald glanced over her shoulder at where Horatio was staring, looking back to him quizzically.

"Well…aren't you going to say hi to her?"

That was all he needed, now confirmed that he was not the only one seeing her he bowed politely before stepping out of the stall.

"Cinder!" He called out with a wave, rushing to her side. Cinder initiated the embrace this time, pulling him in with a serene smile. "Are you sure you're okay to be out today?"

"I am feeling…much better," she assured him. "I simply wanted to arrive…promptly."

Horatio felt the same, always better to be early than late. "I am working my last commission before the play; it won't be too long I promise. We'll have time for something to eat afterwards…my treat!"

"Take all the time you need," Turning to Emerald she nodded her head politely, the two exchanging smiles. "Perhaps we could make it a double request?"

Emerald's face lit up, "O-of course!" She shuffled to the side, making enough room for both of them to fit into frame. As Cinder took her place beside her she laid a hand on Emerald's shoulder and rolled the backdrop to one showcasing a grand castle in the background.

Horatio returned to his easel, inspiration flaring brighter than it had been all day. "Ok, I want you two to get in close…closer Emerald…genuine smiles now!"

 **Fairgrounds…**

Ms. Goodwitch perused the stalls around the bazaar. This was where the highest likelihood of an altercation or disturbance would be. Fortunately things had been mild so far, it was rather refreshing.

"These crates are not on your manifest."

Glynda froze in her tracks.

 _I just had to go and think it._

General Ironwood was standing opposite an old shopkeeper; from the looks of it he was loading crates into a storage building. She recognized the building as a location where most of the surplus food stuffs were being kept complete with refrigeration.

"I…may have miscounted sir," the old man theorized, he looked quite nervous standing before the imposing general and his two knights flanking him.

"Is everything…alright?" Glynda asked, coming up behind them.

"Glynda!" Ironwood turned to face her. "Yes, everything is fine…just overseeing a potential clerical error. It should not be long."

"You are terrifying him," Glynda whispered after she got closer, motioning over to the shopkeeper. "I think we can trust him, he owns from Dust Till Dawn and helps out with at least a half dozen other establishments throughout Vale."

Ironwood glanced over to the man and back to Glynda, clearly hesitant over bending the regulations in the slightest.

"I…suppose two extra crates of noodles won't cause any issues; you are free to store them."

"Th-thank you," the old man bowed again and again before continuing to pull the cart, eliciting a sloshing sound from the last crate as it lurched forward.

"I'm just being…"

"Thorough?" Glynda finished. "And wouldn't such inspections be done by your own men?"

"Considering the recent attack…thorough is what we need…and you know I've always been a hands-on kind of guy." His tone grew sterner as he saw the glare in Glynda's eyes. "I didn't ask to replace Ozpin…the council decided that on their…"

 _He'll never change…is that the part of him I like…or cannot stand?_

"But you didn't dispute it did you?" she interrupted, pushing her glasses up to stress the point. "Or tell them that Ozpin was still more than competent to handle security for the festival?"

Ironwood sighed, "I'm sorry Glynda…I know you asked me to trust but…I just…CAN'T work without knowing all the details. You know as well as I do that Ozpin never shares the full picture."

"Is that what this is about? To show your way is better than his?"

"If…it comes down to it…yes. This peace won't last much longer; you know this as well as I do. If Ozpin is not up to heading back to the battlefield to preserve it then…I will."

Ironwood did not await her reply, with a polite but short bow he turned back towards the fairgrounds; his twin mechanical knights close behind.

 _Don't become like your tin men,_ Glynda wanted to shout after him. Instead she only kept silent, wondering why she lets history repeat itself time and time again. Checking her watch she realized the Amphitheater would be filling soon. With a heavy sigh she made her way over, they would need all the help they could get with the crowds.

 **Beacon Amphitheater**

The audience bustled at the amphitheater which had been prepared for the Vacuo play being performed by Team NDGO and other students from Shade Academy. The Tale of Sleeping Sendrilla, a classic most were told from childhood.

The story was simple yet beloved; a princess born to a prosperous Kingdom is lost after an attack by an evil sorceress djinn. Thought dead, the child was actually found and raised by a simple family in the poorer districts of the neighboring Kingdom completely unaware of her royal heritage. Located by the evil sorceress, the princess is lured into making wishes each of which are twisted into causing grief and strife to the Kingdom.

Eventually, her mistakes discovered, the princess is put into a deep sleep under a spell by the sorceress to prevent her from wishing her deeds undone. The story ended with her beloved, the prince who had been promised her hand as a child and remained faithful all those years, confronting the evil sorceress. Unable to best the sorceress and her dragon in battle, the prince instead breaks the curse with true loves kiss, allowing the princess to awaken and wish the sorceress away, undoing her mistakes and bringing peace to the Kingdom she would rule alongside him.

NDGO had publicized the play even before arriving for the Festival, showcasing that while it would be performed by their team and audience members would be selected to fill roles for the climax. The audience members would then be able to either follow the Fairy Tale or ad-lib for added entertainment. Half the fun was seeing how they would react on stage.

The amphitheater was fully packed; uniforms and clothing from all four Kingdoms could be seen among the attendees. Team HERO, RWBY, JNPR and SSSN were in attendance scattered around while Ms. Goodwitch stood by the entrance watching the entire room. Horatio and Cinder were in one of the front rows, given premium seats in thanks by Nebula for the beautiful portraits.

As they awaited the curtains to rise Cinder could not help but notice Horatio was typing furiously on his scroll, his face contorted with a serious expression. He had barely said a word to her since the food stand.

"Should I be jealous?" She asked teasingly.

"I…nonono," he stumbled over his words. "I…was just putting together a proposition to Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood."

Cinder's interest was piqued at the mention of their names. "What kind of proposition?"

Horatio looked embarrassed, like his idea surely couldn't be important. "I…was thinking of alternatives to dealing with Grimm over simply fighting them head on."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "What sort of…alternatives?"

"Well," Horatio laid down his scroll. "Grimm will always outnumber humans and Faunus, that fact is basically a definite. To win in combat we need quality over quantity…but that can be costly, the recent attack made me realize that."

 _He has been thinking this out…_

"So I started thinking how we can deal with the Grimm WITHOUT fighting them. They are basically animals right? The vast majority beyond Goliaths and ones that have lived for decades to centuries have no higher brain functions."

 _As far as you know…_

"So I thought…how can we get the Grimm out of the way…put them somewhere they are no longer a threat…"

"How would you do that?"

Horatio smiled, clearly having thought of the solution only recently. "Our good friend Dr. Merlot!"

Cinder knew where he was going, but she played dumb for his benefit.

"His bait!" Horatio whispered, realizing how loud he'd been speaking. "You allowed us to download his entire database including the formula to his bait and serum. If we produced enough of it we could use it to lure entire Grimm populations into isolated containment areas…places where they would be no threat to anyone!"

 _So he considered a use for the good doctor's bait as well._

"But…I thought General Ironwood deemed it an 'evil substance' that should be forgotten by the world."

"Even things meant for evil can be turned to good," Horatio could not help but turn a little poetic.

 _True words, though the reverse is equally true…he thinks outside the box, an admirable quality._

"So…where did you think the Grimm could be…sent?"

Horatio sighed, "That is the tough part." There aren't many places large enough to hold a massive population like the Grimm. The Northwestern continent is mostly unexplored otherwise it would be a perfect option. As it stands though Grimm numbers are likely through the roof there to begin with. Other than the scattered smaller uninhabited islands, that would leave…"

Cinder leaned in closer instinctively, actually looking forward to his answer.

"Menagerie."

"The island given to Faunus after the Great War?"

"Yes, it's large enough to hold tens of thousands of Grimm or more and is isolated from the rest of the world...but the island is currently occupied. Everyone knows that Menagerie was given to the Faunus to basically placate them after the war…limited space for a growing population due to the huge deserts and it doesn't even have a CCT Tower. Grimm on the other hand have shown they do not care for environmental hazards and could be spread out across the entire island. The bait could lure them to the shore in massive numbers after which they could be corralled into ships similar to what Dr. Merlot was doing and sent to the island."

Cinder only stared at him, such a plan was too grand in scale to be performed anytime soon…but still if they decided to actually attempt it…

"I am going to propose to the General and Headmaster that we work to give the Faunus the home they were promised eighty years ago using my plan to deal with Grimm as a wedge for those who would be resistant to change. If the Faunus can get a real home on the mainland continents then Menagerie would be deserted and could be used to lure Grimm by the thousands. There is more than enough room in Mistral, much of the countryside is uninhabited save for scattered villages. I doubt we could lure EVERY Grimm there, and the ones who live in the ocean would still be dangerous...but enough to make their numbers elsewhere infinitely more manageable. A joint Kingdom operation could then blockade Menagerie…contain them."

 _That is…a good plan, working to improve race relations while simultaneously dealing with an age old enemy of humanity. If it weren't for…her…and the inflexibility of those in power it would be perfect._ _Though it is also likely many Faunus would not wish to leave Menagerie despite the cramped nature of its borders...it has been occupied for eighty years after all_. _It was...an adequate first attempt._

Cinder laid her hand on his own comfortingly, giving a smile she knew he could not resist.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" Nebula had stepped onstage, raising her hands high. "Thank you for your patronage in viewing our Grand Tale this evening. Tonight, you shall bear witness to the Story of the Sleeping Princess Sendrilla, torn from her home by evil most foul! Relax among your loved ones…and most of all enjoy." She ended her speech with a bow, eliciting applause among the crowd.

The play was quite enjoyable and well performed. A prop baby stood in for the princess during her infancy and the attack on her family. Nebula portrayed the Queen herself, showcasing her acting talent as she mourned the loss of her daughter. Nora and Ruby were practically in tears during the scene in which she cursed the heavens above.

As the play shifted to its present day, the actress portraying the princess ever wore a brown body-covering cloth. This was both to showcase her hidden identity, and allowed any audience member to portray her in the plays climax.

Now came the inclusion of the evil sorceress posing as a fairy godmother who lured Sendrilla to making wishes turned to ill nature from good intent. As with the princess, the sorceress was portrayed by one of Team NDGO though they could not tell which as her face was ever covered by a black mask. Once three wishes had been granted the evil sorceress would have absolute control over the land.

"See," Nora whispered to Ren. "The first rule is never trust the weirdo in a mask."

Sendrilla, unaware of her royal roots, sought the improvement of her current family life and wished riches upon them. The sorceress granted these riches…by providing the family jewels rightfully belonging to her. These gems' disappearance from the treasury sent the royal court into a fury as they sought the Kingdom for them…all with Sendrilla blissfully unaware of their source.

For her second wish, Sendrilla asked that the sorceress for peace across the Kingdom as it was feared a war may be brewing with a neighboring land caused by the jewel's theft. Again the sorceress granted this wish…by putting all the people of the land to sleep. This was the step that caught the attention of her birth mother upon hearing an entire land refused to awaken. Fearing the evil sorceress' return she wrote to her fellow monarch whom had escaped the spell with his only son…the prince who had been promised to Sendrilla as a lad.

As the Prince rode to the Capital seeking the source of the spell Sendrilla realized what had befallen was her fault. Upon confronting the sorceress and proclaiming her desire to reverse her wishes she was instead placed into an identical spell of sleep until the sorceress could find a way of tricking her into making a different final wish.

Through the miracle of being in the right place at the right time the prince spotted the abduction of Sendrilla being taken to the sorceress' castle and learned her identity. He resolved to rescue her and end the curse once and for all.

"Good members of our assembly," Nebula proclaimed to the audience as the masked prince stand-in rode off stage in pursuit. "The time has come to unveil my daughter to the world and have her stand alongside the good prince. Are there any among you who can shoulder this burden?"

Hands shot up from the crowd as couples reached and prayed to be selected. Nebula's eyes drifted among the masses, looking for who she should call to the stage.

She saw Yang and Roland, however it appeared that the blonde fighter was attempting to raise her hand but Roland was holding it down with all his strength.

"Come on," Yang begged. "You know you want to."

"Normally I would," Roland grunted as he held her hand down. "But I know you…and I am NOT going to be the one wearing the dress!"

"Are you sure? You have the ankles for it," Yang teased.

Penny and Cameron were in the crowd but both looked away awkwardly when she glanced by them. Clearly neither had any desire to go on stage.

"Oh I hate these parts," Horatio grimaced, hiding his face.

"Don't tell me you are afraid of crowds," Cinder asked coyly, allowing her malicious smile to shine through.

"Not really," he admitted. "But I've been told I tend to get…melodramatic when nervous…how do you think I was able to keep Merlot going so long while you hacked his systems. Let's just hide for now."

Cinder nodded her head, however as soon as Horatio was looking away and Nebula's eyes fell on the couple Cinder raised her hand just enough to catch her notice, smiling mischievously.

Nebula spotted them, smiling cheerily upon seeing their interlocked hands and realizing she was with Horatio. She'd had no idea they were dating.

"Truly, I can see none who can bear this burden greater than these two here!" She called out, motioning towards Horatio and Cinder.

Horatio was still looking away and had not realized she was referring to them…at least not until Cinder gently tilted his head towards the stage with a single finger. She could not help but drink in his utter surprise and shock.

"But…I…" he started as Nebula grabbed and pulled him up. Horatio was still gripping Cinder's hand like a vice and pulled her along with them. Between Cinder's smile, the applause from the audience and their friends encouragement there was no escape. The two were shuffled backstage to change into costume while the play continued.

"Alright, into your changing rooms chop chop," Octavia motioned Horatio to the left and Cinder to the right. "You two are absolutely adorable!"

Horatio barely had enough time to wave farewell to Cinder before he was shoved into the men's dressing room. A regal dress uniform greeted him similar to what Roland had been wearing though it was a split of black and blue, gold lion shoulder pads hung to the side he would be wearing. Sighing deep Horatio started unbuckling his recreated armor in favor of the costume.

Across the hall Octavia was helping Cinder into another dressing room, presenting her with her own costume.

"That…is not what I expected," Cinder admitted upon seeing what they intended her to wear.

"Our little secret," Octavia giggled, bringing a finger to her lips. "He'll never see it coming."

 **Onstage…**

The curtains parted, Horatio was standing on stage alone, every eye in the amphitheater upon him. He could spot Ruby giving him a thumbs up, her smile as contagious as ever. Olivia had her camera out with the flash disabled...he'd never hear the end of this for certain.

"The dashing prince!" Nebula called out once again over the loudspeaker narrating. "Having journeyed for many days and nights has finally reached the fortress of the evil sorceress…prepared to save his true love!"

Horatio drew the sword from his belt and held it high. There was no official script for the audience participating, however in the dressing room there had been a sheet detailing when he could speak between narrations.

"As long as I draw breath…the evil of this land shall be vanquished…of this I swear!" Horatio shouted. Olivia and Esmerelda in the audience covered their faces in embarrassment. It looked good on paper…but coming from Horatio's mouth it sounded ridiculous.

"Is he always so…over the top?" Yang whispered to Roland, remembering his minor breakdown after finals. Both of them were cringing.

"Only when he's nervous." Blake confirmed in his stead, remembering their discussions after she'd convinced Horatio to read some of her books.

"His choice in vernacular is...quite impressive under those conditions," Penny agreed.

The backdrop for the play rolled away from a dark foreboding wasteland and was replaced by the interior of a castle. The floor opened as a slab rose from beneath the stage where the princess would be sleeping.

"The prince, ignoring any risk to himself, entered the domain of evil," Nebula continued. "At the highest peak of the tallest tower he finally found the princess whom he had not laid eyes upon since his childhood."

Horatio turned towards the slab, approaching it as the lights popped into existence around him, illuminating the table.

"Wha…" Horatio was taken aback upon seeing the sleeping form upon the table.

The sleeping princess was NOT Cinder.

Dew Gayl, another member of Team NDGO lay sleeping before him. She had flowing curly blonde hair and certainly looked the part of the princess. She wore a deep green floral theme dress that contrasted against the dull gray of the castle stage showcasing the dichotomy between life and death present throughout the play.

 _But…I thought they picked couples to fill the roles of the Prince and Princess…if Cinder is not her, then who…_

"But hark!" Nebula shouted. "The Prince was not alone for the evil sorceress, responsible for all the Kingdom's woes, was swiftly upon him!"

A smoke effect exploded near the back of the stage as the silhouette of a slender woman emerged. She was dressed in a black and purple gown covering her entire body except her hands. The dress flowed menacingly behind her and black spikes protruded from her shoulders as she stepped forward. She bore a black scepter with a deep red ruby atop it which she clanged loudly with each step. The sorceress sported twin horns courtesy of the prop department. Her entire head was covered by the horned-wig hiding her hair except her face, leaving her identity unmistakable.

 _CINDER?_

Indeed, the evil sorceress was none other than Cinder Fall; she approached him with a truly terrifying smile on her face. She was clearly enjoying the role she had been given. Beside her loomed a massive black dragon, the pride and joy of the stage crew. Its face was stiff and stuck in the roaring pose it had been chiseled into, however pulleys and other offstage mechanics allowed it to move back and forth, its wings flapping behind its master. Dulled fire dust crystals allowed the eyes to glow a menacing crimson.

 _Sorry Horatio,_ Nebula chuckled in her head. Their play was well known at Shade Academy but they hoped the little surprise had not made it to Vale yet. Every play they would rotate the roles that each of the audience members played for the finale. Because they asked for couples most would incorrectly assume they were being cast as ONLY the Prince and Princess. This made their reactions onstage all the more entertaining for the audience.

The audience cheered as the villain made her grand appearance; previously she had only been wearing a black cloak meant to hide her identity from the characters.

"Young Prince!" Cinder called out, pointing at him with her long staff. "You were quite foolish to come here…walking so willingly to your doom!"

 _Boy Cinder is loving this though…does she do theater and never told me?_

"Y-your evil cannot be allowed to persist! Too many have already fallen prey to your machinations….so many lives destroyed!"

"Then step forward...boy," Cinder sneered, holding her arms out in challenge. Horatio was impressed how well she could act so…evil. "Your strength is no match for my magic."

"It was in that moment," Nebula chimed in again. "That the noble prince realized she was right. No power could stop her except that which alone was stronger…true love's kiss!"

A resounding 'aaww' spread throughout the hall, couples leaned closer to one another in preparation for the finale. Jaune and Pyrrha, who were sitting near the front row, did the same, Pyrrha wrapping her arm around him and Jaune reciprocating the gesture. Roland's attempt to keep Yang from volunteering them turned to a tender handhold, the two grinning at each other without restraint. Even Blake and Sun glanced at each other awkwardly with a blush.

 _They…want me to kiss her…in front of Cinder?_ Horatio gasped internally. _I thought Nebula was trying to repay me…not get me killed!_

"Fool!" Cinder called again, the sound of thunder being played in the background as she remained true to the source material. She must have been very familiar with the Fairy Tale...Horatio was almost certain she was reciting the sorceress' passages word for word. "True love does not exist! There is NO force above me!"

Horatio glanced between Dew pretending to be asleep and the "evil sorceress" Cinder.

 _There are always alternatives…_

"I will vanquish your evil! Then the Princess and her Kingdom can live in peace!" Stepping away from the slab Horatio made his way towards Cinder, sword outstretched.

"How Bold!" Nebula shouted again. "The young prince has decided to face the evil sorceress and her dragon first…to try and end her reign before awakening Princess Sendrilla under a peaceful sky!"

 _How fitting,_ Cinder smiled melancholically. _I suppose this will be a prelude to how the Festival will end…if we get practice now…it won't be so hard later._

"Then let us end this fair prince!" Cinder shouted, holding out her staff, ready for his attack.

Horatio rushed in, raising his prop sword over his head, Cinder brought her staff up to parry it as the Prince lost the fight in the original tale. At the height of his swing Horatio's grip loosened, causing his sword to fall lifelessly to the ground.

Cinder's eyes followed the sword's path down, trying to determine what he was planning. As a result she did not see him step closer. The entire crowd let out a gasp of surprise, all of their collective friends had their jaws on the floor, eyes wide at the outcome of Horatio's attack. Ms. Goodwitch could only sigh.

 _They did it again..._ _must they always select such grand gestures?_

He had dropped his sword, distracting Cinder and allowing him to duck around her staff…leaning in he had kissed her squarely on the lips, a hand wrapped around to embrace her. Cinder had snapped back in surprise so hard that the horned-wig she wore slid back, falling to the floor and freeing her black locks to tumble down her shoulders.

"That was your plan? You're supposed to hit her!" He could hear Nora shout exasperated from the audience, forcing Ren to throw his hands over her mouth to silence her.

Ms. Goodwitch shushed them, as she turned back to the stage she jumped in surprise, barely realizing that General Ironwood had appeared beside her. How long had he been watching the play?

"James..." she started, before realizing he had grasped her hand with his left, squeezing gently. She reciprocated the squeeze and leaned against him, content to enjoy the finale.

 _No matter what happens in our work...our feelings don't change._

Cinder's eyes were wide in surprise; Horatio was still kissing her, one hand keeping her staff at bay while the other held her back tenderly. Even Dew could be seen watching them from her slab with a single open eye despite her supposed cursed status. She honestly could not recall anyone ever thinking of such an ending to the play.

"Uuhhh," Nebula stuttered over the intercom before regaining her composure. "And thus it was that true love's kiss dispelled the evil cloud over the sorceress…freeing her from the darkness that had compelled her to perform such heinous deeds. With her evil gone the spell of slumber over Princess Sendrilla and the land was broken and she could once again awaken under the morning sun."

"A new day has dawned…for the Kingdom…and our world!" Horatio ended, taking Cinder's hand and holding it up high as Princess Sendrilla walked beside him, curtsying to the audience.

The audience burst into applause, the rest of the cast emerged on the stage and took their bows. The curtains rose and fell several times as encores were called out. Finally after the third time they fell for good.

"Nice work fellow Thespians, a fantastic opening night," Nebula complimented as she patted both of them on the back. "The Prince and the Sorceress…someone should write that version."

"Don't look at me," Horatio laughed, holding his hands up defensively. "I can draw and paint…not write."

"I think…I prefer this version," Cinder smiled, her amber eyes seeming to glow brighter as the stage lights died down around them.

 **CRMS Dormitory, Nightfall…**

Mercury yawned big as he entered their room, allowing Emerald to close the door behind them. Cinder had already returned; once again back at work on her scroll. No rest for the wicked.

"So how was the magical evening? He smirked, repeating the question he had posed at her first outing with Horatio.

"It was…acceptable," she repeated. "Remind me Mercury…what was the line you gave as to why you wanted to face Ms. Nikos?"

Mercury stood there for a moment, glancing up at the ceiling as if to recall the excuse he had made up when talking with Roland in the gym at their first meeting.

"Learn from the best…to be the best?" He asked, hoping it was the answer she sought.

"Precisely," she smiled.

 _After all…if he is to stand by my side I must ensure he is properly...groomed. Though the competition has no true contenders…I can make do._

The generator that would be used to select the teams for tomorrow spun on her scroll. She had already selected the other teams competing leaving Horatio's for last. The left team had already been selected as HERO, Cinder's smile widened as the right side fell into place.

CFVY.

 **The Vytal Festival Tournament is right around the corner, the matches already decided behind the scenes. A big thank you to all my readers. Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy :).**


	24. Noodles and Coffee

**The first round of the Vytal Festival Tournament has begun. Our heroes competing against their friends and fellow students…Once again, a big thanks to everyone reading, reviewing and enjoying my tale.**

Yang and Arslan slammed their fists together creating a shockwave that cracked the floor beneath their feet, releasing streams of lava.

The first match of the Vytal Festival Tournament had begun with Team RWBY of Beacon and Team ABRN of Haven being selected. It was a much anticipated match as each team were considered high tier for their respective schools.

Almost as soon as the alarm had signaled the start of the match each team member had split to fight one another. Yang immediately gunned for Arslan, excited about facing someone as strong as herself…Roland had spoken very highly of her strength and skill. Arslan's weapon of choice was a dagger tethered to her with a long wire, however she only ever used it to get around faster…her preferred weapon like Yang was her own body.

Ruby was currently dueling against Bolin Hori, a tall man with dark hair who wore a yellow sash over a dark blue vest. The way he moved with the sash without allowing it to get in his way reminded her of some sort of monk. His weapon of choice was a long bowstaff; forcing Ruby to keep Crescent Rose in its scythe form in order to properly parry his blows.

"Break his stance!" Horatio called out as Ruby delivered a powerful overhead blow to the young man who had braced himself and taken her hit with little effect.

Blake squared off against Reese Chloris, a green-haired girl dressed like she lived in a skate park. She wore a dark purple hooded sweater and black shorts complete with knee pads. Her weapon had Olivia entranced as it was a simple hoverboard that could do so much. One minute she was riding it, the next she used it as a shield to deflect Blake's gunfire before seamlessly transforming them into twin pistols and going on the offensive.

Weiss had engaged Nadir Shiko, the last member of their team, in a long range contest. He was the pink-haired man that reminded Arslan of their schedule back at the docks. He had a cream and yellow short sleeved jacket Olivia found absolutely adorable and black pants. Nadir wielded a personalized assault rifle and was unloading a prodigious amount of ammunition towards her. Weiss in return had erected a glyph to take most of the hits, returning fire with barrage after barrage of ice blasts.

Roland was cheering as loud as he could though without giving any names. He felt obligated to cheer for Yang as her boyfriend; however Arslan had been a friend of his since his first combat school. He was silently thankful neither could hear his general shouts of encouragement.

Casey and Cinnamon, still perched atop Elf's back had no such conflict. The two cheered for their new "big sister in training" as they now referred to her, Roland was ecstatic that they had started to warm up to Yang.

"Come on Weiss!" Esmerelda shouted, getting worked up more than they had ever seen her.

Weiss was expertly dealing with Nadir who appeared to be the weakest link in Team ABRN. After deflecting several of his volleys she had already frozen his feet solid along with his hand that held his rifle, he frowned upon realizing he could no longer move.

"Shoot, thought I'd get to see a Schnee lose," Esmerelda glanced over at her neighbor, shocked at his words.

It was Flynt Coal; the Atlesian student who had co-ran the Chess event. The young man had darker skin, still wearing what looked like a suit ensemble without the jacket. He was quite laid back as his shirt was untucked with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons of his vest were undone. She had never once seen him without his black fedora. He had seemed so friendly the day before…she was even certain she'd seen him performing at the dance on his trumpet; it was jarring to hear him talk that way.

"Ex….cuse me?" Esmerelda inquired, hoping she had heard wrong.

"You heard me," Flynt held his tone. "You're cool Esmerelda don't get me wrong…but you should reconsider interacting with a Schnee."

"I'm not interacting with a Schnee," Esmerelda replied, trying to remain diplomatic. "I spend time with Weiss…my friend."

Weiss continued to perform amazingly while they spoke. As Yang kept Arslan busy and Blake fought with Reese she had singlehandedly incapacitated both Nadir and Bolin. With a single stab into the ground she created a gravity glyph beneath their feet after Ruby knocked them together. With no effort she changed the glyph from pull to push back and forth all the while changing the intensity of its time dilation. The two men clearly had no answer and were being ping ponged into each other and the ground over and over.

Esmerelda was fully aware of how most people saw the Schnee Dust Company…Weiss' father showing no qualms against questionable business practices…an outlook that was assumed to extend to the rest of his family.

"She's…not like her father," Esmerelda explained. "Please don't judge her until you meet her."

"I'll believe it when I see it," he rebuked. "My dad trusted Schnee to fairly compete in the dust trade…right up to the moment he shut his doors. I won't make the same mistake with her."

 _So her family ruined his family…explains why he was so quick to sacrifice her in the match the other day._ Esmerelda just shook her head, she had already said what she felt he should do…it was doubtful anything else would change the grudge he held. At least until he spoke with her.

"Is that why you joined the Vytal Tournament? To get back at a Schnee?"

"Nah, that's just a bonus," he replied truthfully. "I'm here to save my family business. Figured the fame of winning coupled with the prize money would be more than enough to get the shop back on its feet." His eyes narrowed towards Weiss again. "This time we'd be ready for Schnee's underhanded tactics."

Back in the arena Reese Chloris went sailing through the air, being clotheslined by Blake who lured her in using one of her shadow clones followed by a powerful kick. She was out of the arena with the match reduced to a 4 on 3.

Back with Weiss, upon disorienting the two men she had summoned a massive fist of ice closing them in its cold grip. With a wave of her sword the balled up fist began to roll towards the edge of the arena threatening a double ring out.

Arslan, still keeping ahead of Yang noticed her teammate's plight, sighing heavily as she had gotten used to pulling them out of rough situations…the Tournament it seemed would be no different. Drawing her dagger she buried it into the ice, stopping herself as Yang came blasting around the corner, a fist already prepared to swing. Arslan breathed in calmly, steadying herself...as Yang's fist was about to impact her face she shifted to the side, causing the blow to miss. As Yang's fist passed harmlessly past her head, Arslan hooked her arm around Yang's and twisted, throwing her fellow blonde brawler far into the distance. Yang fired off several blasts from her gauntlets to right herself and prevent falling out of the battle ground, but Arslan had already sped away.

With her pursuer temporarily dealt with, Arslan used her dagger's wire to swing around to cut off the rolling ball of ice encasing her teammates. Planting her feet she readied herself once again for its impact.

"Watch this part close," Roland motioned to his sisters. "Once Arslan plants herself with a solid stance she is almost immovable.

Sure enough Arslan stood her ground, holding out a palm to steady herself she buried her other fist into the ball, shattering the ice instantly and freeing her team. Arslan had not budged from her position.

"Yang!" Weiss called out to her teammate as she created a curved wall of ice behind her. "Now!"

Roland smiled with pride, "they are going to do their full team attack!"

Sure enough, on Weiss' signal Yang started running full speed towards the ice wall using her shotgun gauntlets as propulsion. Upon reaching it, Yang let herself slide along the surface as if she were skating. As with her Bumblebee attack Blake threw her weapon to Yang who caught it and ran beside her, guiding her along the ice wall. As they neared the end of the curvature, Ruby ran in front of Blake, allowing her Faunus teammate to springboard off her back with a blast from Crescent Rose

Blake flew towards Team ABRN who were still getting their bearings, only now noticing the girl almost literally hurtling towards them. Before she collided, Blake pulled on the cord connecting her to Yang hard, sending the golden girl flying ahead of her directly towards the unsuspecting team.

"YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Yang shouted with joy as her fist collided with Arslan. The force blew her backwards into her two remaining teammates and all three were sent blasting off like a rocket. They slammed into the far wall in less than a second still uncertain what just happened.

Roland cheered from the stands, Horatio and Olivia following suit. Esmerelda clapped proudly, unable to help but notice Flynt turn to leave with a huff.

"So what would you call THAT attack?" Olivia asked enthusiastically as Ruby and the others leapt for joy and celebrated amidst the applause.

Horatio lowered his head in thought. He knew what he would have called it; "United We Stand, Divided We Fall," but Ruby and her team never named their attacks in such a way.

"Using their previous naming schemes," he announced out loud. "I would go with either Pollination or Grand Checkmate."

Olivia just glanced at him blankly with a smile, trying to live up to the old adage upon which she had been raised to not say anything if she had nothing nice to say.

 _Well...they can't all be winners._

"Woohooo!" Ruby cheered, jumping in the air for joy.

 **Vytal Fairgrounds…**

"Is anyone else STARVING," Ruby asked weakly, slouching forward while standing as if supporting her own body was a chore.

"I…may have worked up an appetite," Blake replied with a smile…seconds before her stomach loudly growled…causing those nearby to fear a Beowolf had entered the Festival.

"Gee…if only there were somewhere on campus to get food around here," Weiss added sarcastically as they were surrounded by no few than a dozen eateries and stands set up for the Festival. "Oh wait," she added as if she just realized their presence.

"It's ok, Weiss," Ruby patted her back comfortingly…the sarcasm completely lost on her. "I forget about the fairgrounds too."

"I was being facetious!" Weiss shouted in frustration, praying Ruby knew the meaning of the word.

"Wha? Well if you were hungry why didn't you say so!?" Ruby shouted, throwing her arms in the air.

"I know just the place!" Yang called out. "Follow me!"

The group set out after the golden haired fighter, they didn't notice Weiss hang back for a moment, checking her ringing scroll before stuffing it back in her pocket with a huff. Another attempted call from her father.

"Hey…might be hard to eat without this," a friendly voice called out.

Emerald was standing behind the girls holding out Ruby's wallet in her outstretched hand. Olivia and Horatio were beside her smiling, though Olivia's smile seemed pained and forced.

"What?" Ruby whispered in a panicky voice as she frantically searched all of her pockets. Sure enough her wallet was nowhere to be found but in the hands of the green-haired girl.

"Good to see you Ruby!"

"You have good eyes Em," Olivia complimented as she massaged her temples. "I didn't even spot it back there."

"You okay?" Horatio whispered, noticing her awkward expression.

"Just a migraine, came out of nowhere a few minutes ago…I'm fine, it's passing."

"Thanks Emerald! I guess I dropped it…ugh, girl pockets are the worst!" She groaned as if she'd had difficulties with them in the past.

"What's up Em?" Yang asked as the rest of Team RWBY caught up to them.

"We came from the Stadium," Horatio explained. "Her team just moved on to the next round with a crushing victory."

"Oh we weren't THAT impressive," Emerald answered modestly.

"Not that impressive?" Horatio was shocked at her blasé attitude. "I don't think Team CRDL got a single hit in! I barely had a chance to cheer Cinder ONCE before you annihilated them! Did any of you even take a hit?"

"Well…no," Emerald admitted.

"Ouch…are they okay?" Blake asked.

"Just bruised egos," Olivia assured her. "But Cardin has Velvet to help mend that wound."

"Well your fight was amazing too!" Emerald complimented. "You guys were awesome."

"Oh stop it…shut your stupid face….hehehe," Ruby started mumbling and giggling incoherently, completely flustered at Emerald's compliment; she was blushing from ear to ear.

"How about we all get something to eat together?" Olivia asked, hoping the chance to sit down would clear her head.

"Oh gosh, that's…SO nice of you," Emerald started. "But I think Ray went to lie down…Cinder is off doing her own thing before the next match and Mercury is…" She glanced over at a nearby stall; Mercury was perusing their stock of leather boots. With a curious glance he picked up one and inhaled deeply. "Reeeaalllllyyyy socially awkward," Emerald whispered, her face looking very uncomfortable.

"Ooooh….yea, I can see that," Yang agreed as all of Team RWBY took a step away from him despite how far they already were.

"So…yea," Emerald changed the subject. "Looks like Merc and I will be moving on to the doubles round. What about you guys?"

"Well," Ruby started, proudly standing to her full height. "As the leader of this team, I thought long and hard about this decision..."

"We put it to a vote…" Weiss slid in front of Ruby to clarify.

"Uuhh," Ruby stuttered as her deception was revealed. "Yes, but I decided that we should put it to a vote."

"We voted for Weiss and Yang," Blake finished, figuring she could get to the point before Ruby.

"I will happily represent Team RWBY," Weiss bowed politely.

"Yea! We're gonna kick some butt!" Yang exclaimed, slamming her fists together.

"You won't be in the finals Ruby?" Horatio asked, disappointed and surprised their team leader didn't even want to go on to the doubles round.

"Nah," Ruby answered with a hand flip as she tried to play it off as no big deal. "Yang is WAY stronger...and Weiss is more skilled than I..."

"It's true, I am," Weiss answered as blunt as ever.

"I hope we are as fortunate as you guys," Olivia smiled. "It's not official yet but I'm pretty sure we'd go with Ezzy and Horatio if we get to round two."

"Ssshhhhhh," Don't jinx it, "Horatio whispered loudly.

Emerald chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Well good luck on your match you guys…and if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Yang smiled at the challenge, the others all nodded in agreement.

"We're going to go catch some other fights, see ya later!"

Team RWBY and the others waved goodbye as Emerald turned to reunite with Mercury who seemed to have selected the most appropriately smelling boots from the stand.

"So…" Mercury turned to ask Emerald as soon as the others were far enough. "How are the new friends?"

"I hate them," Emerald replied flatly, her giant smile a moment ago deflating into a frown of annoyance.

"Orders are orders, gotta be nice around lover boy and his friends."

"I just…" Emerald tried to articulate. "How can they be so happy ALL…THE…TIME!?" The fact these huntresses in training, for the most part, treated everyday like it was sunshine and rainbows baffled her. At least they weren't as annoying as the girl Neon Katt had been at the chess event…she'd very nearly murdered her on the spot after five minutes. Emerald had felt such a sense of satisfaction taking her piece and leaving Flynt all alone...it had been child's play, using her ability to cause them to make the wrong moves was only icing on the cake.

"Did you at least get what we want?" Mercury thought Emeralds annoyance at their innocence was adorable but if they didn't get the information Cinder would not be pleased.

"It's the heiress and the bimbo," she replied without restraint. "For the others it'll be the pole girl and lover boy."

"Alright," Mercury straightened, content with the information. "At least we know who we're working with."

 **Shortly After, Not Far...**

Team RWBY along with Olivia and Horatio were sitting around a humble noodle stand, despite being smaller than many of the nearby stalls Yang and Blake knew from experience few could match it. One by one they placed their orders.

"I'll have the regular," Yang requested. In response an enormous bowl of noodles larger than her head plopped in front of her.

"Ooooo," Ruby stared in wonder, impressed by the size. "I'll take the same." An identical bowl was placed in front of her in record speed.

"The same, but extra cheese," Olivia raised her hand with a smile. Within a matter of seconds another bowl was in front of her with a sizzling layer of yellow.

"Um...do you have any with low salt?" Weiss asked, to her surprise a bowl exactly like Yang and Ruby's appeared in front of her. She could not help but wonder if it actually had less salt.

Horatio stared wide-eyed at the large bowls of food he knew he'd never be able to finish. "Do you have any a...size or two smaller?"

The old shopkeeper, Horatio could have sworn he'd seen before, just shook his head in shame at the request. Despite his disappointment a smaller bowl was thrown in front of Horatio...it was less than half the size of the others.

Blake only nodded at the shopkeeper with a smile, this wasn't her first time eating there either. He returned the nod before disappearing into the back of his stand. For a time it sounded as if all-out warfare were being waged as various sounds of explosions, fire and...workshop equipment? could be heard from within. After the battle had been won he emerged again, plopping another bowl of noodles in front of her.

For the first time the team saw Blake's eyes turn to stars, the noodles before her were intermixed with various full sized tunas cooked into it. She looked as if she could devour the whole bowl in a single bite...and was obviously drooling.

Weiss hesitantly scooched her stool slightly further from Blake for safety as she pulled out her credit card, proudly presenting it to the shopkeeper.

"Aww, Weiss what's the occasion?" Yang asked, noticing her footing the bill.

"Consider it thanks for sending me to the doubles round, and of course we cannot forget about our frien..."

The credit card flew back at her, embedding itself in the wooden stand before them.

 _What is that card made of?_ Olivia gasped, realizing it nearly hit her.

"What?" Weiss stared at the cash register readout in disbelief. "How could my card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance..."

To the side Blake nonchalantly attempted to take a bite of her beautiful meal, only for the shopkeeper to seize her bowl, pulling it back behind the counter.

"Nooooooo," Blake sobbed as her food was ripped from her grasp.

"Maybe...we could help?"

The six turned as Team JNPR along with Roland and Esmerelda strolled up to the open side of the noodle shop, there were just enough seats for everyone.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby cried out with joy.

"Aw you don't have to," Yang chuckled.

"But she could!" Blake called out, clearly taking the situation more seriously than the rest.

"Well, you all earned it after that fight...and we were looking for a place to celebrate our own win," Pyrrha laughed. Their team had recently returned from fighting Team BRNZ of Shade Academy. They were a skilled team but no match once pitted against Nora. The bubbly pink fighter's semblance allowed her to absorb and channel lightning, once introduced to enough of the element she was unstoppable.

"Congratulations!" Ruby cheered, feeling only a tad guilty they had missed it while exploring the Vytal Festival after their own fight.

"But, on one condition..." Roland's face was suddenly serious. "Only if we get to join you for the meal."

Yang contorted her face, glancing upward as if she truly had to think on it. "I don't know...that is a preeeetttyyyy steep price."

"Don't worry," Roland assured her. "I'm sure you can make the climb."

"To friends, family and everyone in between," Horatio toasted once everyone was seated with their orders. In lieu of glasses they clacked their utensils together as they started to dig in.

The twelve Huntsman and Huntresses in training dove in, devouring the meal with gusto. Yang had not been kidding, the flavor was rich and the noodles perfectly cooked. It was a welcome change for her and Ruby...their dad tended to overcook them back home. Even with the smaller helping Horatio barely finished his bowl...where the others were putting that much food would remain a mystery to him. In turn they each finished their meals, Nora and Yang patted their stomachs contentedly, Jaune on the other hand looked like he was about to be sick, the portion size too much for him.

"If I barf..." he threatened weakly. "I'm blaming you..."

"Ooooo, aim it at the enemy," Nora proclaimed proudly, eliciting disgusted faces at her strategy.

"You'll have time to digest," Esmerelda smiled as Team JNPR talked strategy among themselves. "Our fight is up next."

"Any idea who you're up against?" Ruby inquired.

"Unknown, it could be any team left at this juncture."

"At least we don't have to worry about fighting CRMS," Olivia pointed out. "Well...not until the next round...if we do face them next time don't you DARE go easy on them!"

"No fear of that, I already fought Mercury once," Horatio laughed. "Cinder is amazing, I can't believe she didn't want to move on to the doubles round...you didn't see her fight on the island."

"Well we can't ALL be lucky enough to get stuck on a deserted island aaallll night," Yang replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Horatio blushed bright red as he remembered the night by the fire alongside Cinder but held his composure. "Deserted? Did I not mention hordes of killer androids while we were there?"

"I-in any case," Pyrrha interrupted, hoping to change the subject. "I am sure you will do just fine and no matter what happens in future matches, we are all friends."

"Well said," Blake smiled, Ren agreeing with a nod.

"Here here!" Roland cheered, raising his fork due to the lack of anything else nearby to use. "Plus the rematch would only be two years away."

"You always know the best thing to say," Jaune smiled, leaning in to give Pyrrha a quick peck on the cheek. Her cheeks flushed as red as her hair.

"Now THAT is adorable," Nora remarked to Ren with a wink. "Are you sure you don't want to join Pyrrha in the doubles round Jaune?"

Team JNPR's leader chuckled at her request. "As if I could do more damage than you..."

A short screeching noise signaled the Festival-wide intercom activation as Dr. Oobleck's voice echoed across the area.

"Will Teams HERO and CFVY please report to the Battle Grounds immediately...That is all!"

The four teammates paled at the mention of the second team called to the arena.

"Did...they just say CFVY?"

Horatio turned to Olivia with a glare. "You just HAD to go and jinx it didn't you?"

 **Vytal Coliseum...not long after...**

 _So much for our theory that they hold off on pitting students from the same school against each other,_ Blake mused from her seat. All of Team RWBY was attending to cheer them on, a familiar giant Labrador and two little girls watching beside them. They were sure Team JNPR and the others would be around somewhere, with the crowd finding nearby seats for so many was...problematic.

Cinder and the rest of her team sat in the front row of the stadium as close as they could get, a wide smile on their leader's face as Team HERO and CFVY entered the arena. Cinder had eagerly been awaiting the confrontation.

"If things go south...should I intervene?" Emerald asked.

"No," she answered after a moment of thought. "Let's see what he can do on his own."

Ray looked straight at Olivia and waved with her normal cheery expression. Somehow Olivia caught her in the crowd and waved back.

"An amazing fight for our audience today!" Dr. Oobleck proclaimed from the announcer box. "Two home teams from our very own Beacon academy will be facing off against one another!"

"That's right Bartholomew," Professor Port agreed beside him. "First up is second year Team CFVY who have proven to be exemplary throughout their years including numerous missions against superior Grimm numbers!"

"On the other hand," Dr. Oobleck took over. "We have a first year Team HERO who gained early recognition for discovering and taking down a previously undiscovered subspecies of Grimm on their first outing. But will they have the sheer power and drive to overcome a team with a full year's additional experience and training? Only time will tell!"

The two teams were standing in the center of the arena; already the computer was selecting the biomes for the upcoming match. Esmerelda gave an awkward wave to Yatsuhashi who returned it with a grin. Coco elbowed the giant Huntsman sternly, no doubt trying to quash any sympathy he may hold for their opponents.

The first biome selection popped up for Team HERO, providing the picture of a muddy, humid marsh.

"Ew," Coco grimaced at the prospect. Her shoes most certainly were not designed to trudge through a swamp. Olivia on the other hand smiled, it was her home turf.

The biome for Team CFVY's side of the field rotated into place, showing an image of open plains.

"That's more like it," Coco grinned. On that side there would be no cover to hide from her or Yatsuhashi

The stadium rumbled as the two biomes rose to meet the combatants, HERO's side of the field suddenly turning into a damp swampy terrain complete with the smell while CFVY's side became a wide expanse with little more than knee-high grass stretching across it.

"3…2…1…BEGIN!"

As soon as the bell rang Olivia bounded backwards, disappearing into the thick swampy foliage. While wearing her camouflage gear even without her semblance she was nearly invisible.

"Velvet…go get her!" Coco smiled as the rabbit Faunus nodded, rushing into the brush to track her down.

Yatsuhashi drew his enormous sword and ran towards Roland. He and Coco had surmised that his shield could probably take heavy hits from her minigun. If he could tie up Roland then Coco would be free to mow down the rest.

He didn't make it, as the 7 foot Huntsman neared his target he was intercepted by Horatio from the side who had ducked under Fox's slashing blades. It was clear he had his eye on the armored giant from the start. Hoping to clear the path, Yatsuhashi brought his blade down on HERO's team leader, his eyes widened in surprise as the smaller man caught his sword with both his hands, only buckling somewhat under the pressure.

 _Excellent choice,_ Cinder thought from the stands, confirming all that she had already gleamed on how his abilities worked. _That one is all muscle no substance…he has absolutely no counter for his semblance._ The rest of the match meant nothing to Cinder, her glowing amber eyes lingering solely on Horatio. Her team could not help but notice the hungry look in her eyes as she watched him fight, easily standing his ground against someone twice his size. Even Neo in her Ray persona shuffled a little further away.

As the two clashed, Esmerelda had engaged Fox, the two exchanging blows in a whirlwind of blades. She had reduced her naginata down to its scimitar form, requiring speed over reach. The red-haired fighter wielded a pair of blades attached to his wrist and was amazingly proficient with them. She had hoped to fight him without using too much energy; however he was faster than she feared. As she would parry one blade and dodge the other…the first would somehow be back into play faster than she could follow. He struck her once in the shoulder and twice in the back before she finally summoned a clone of her sword in order to dual wield and keep up.

Roland had been pinned down on the plains. After avoiding Yatsuhashi's charge he'd come face to face with Coco Adel herself. He did not like his odds one bit. Without hesitation she converted her handbag and started unloading directly into him…he got his shield up just in time. Quickly he extended the spikes and buried them into the ground…barely holding under the barrage.

"You can't hide behind your skirt forever!" Coco called out taunting him, her bullets raining against his shield mercilessly.

"Only as long as you hide behind your purse!" Roland shouted back, his retort struggling to be heard over the hail of gunfire.

"Is that so?" Coco grinned. With a flick of her wrist the minigun retreated into her hand bag, she stood tall, holding out a hand beckoning him closer…a smug, well-earned grin of superiority glued to her face.

Roland peaked out, cracking his neck for some much-needed intimidation, with a sigh he converted his shield into its warglaive form and prepared for melee combat.

 **The fight against CFVY has begun, will our heroes find a way to best the number one 2nd year team currently studying at Beacon? Stay tuned next time! And as always Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy :)**


	25. Caffeine Rush

**Over 5000 views! I am truly grateful to everyone following and enjoying my story. You are the ones driving me forward to continuing this tale ;).**

 **The match between HERO and CFVY continues, will our heroes be able to weather the storm and continue onward in the Vytal Tournament? Reviews and critiques are appreciated for future improvement, and as always, a huge thank you to all my readers :).**

Velvet took hesitant steps amidst the swamp, doing her best to remain silent and not breathe too heavily…both to hide her presence and avoid the smell. She could not imagine the audience would enjoy the slow game of cat and mouse she and Olivia were playing.

Her ears were trained as high as she could make them, remembering Olivia's explanation of her semblance back when she'd snuck her into the 2nd year dorms to deal with Cardin. She couldn't trust her vision until she knew where she was…as counterintuitive as that sounded. The swamp also dulled her sense of smell…sound was her only advantage here but she had to continue…if she didn't track her down Olivia could snipe her team with impunity.

There it was! Very faint but present, Velvet would never mistake that slight inhalation of breath. Olivia was good but she was still nervous…she had her. Velvet flipped upside down onto one hand at the moment the shot fired, a round sailed between her legs as she performed a handstand split.

 _Ok, the shot came from that direction…have to find SOMETHING to focus on, a rustling bush…a footprint, something to draw attention to her and focus past her semblance…_

Sure enough, a single ripple caught her attention, barely noticeable but that's all she needed. Velvet bounded over a series of stumps and performed a drop kick on the location. Her foot hit empty air, but she caught sight of what had made the splash. A single purple naginata shimmered out of existence as her foot made contact with it.

 _She got a clone of Esmerelda's weapon to distract me?_

She felt a breeze behind her…Velvet spun and raised her arms in front of her. Olivia's rifle slammed into them, a moment slower and it would have impacted the back of her head.

"Thought I had you with that," Olivia grunted, clearly disappointed. In a flash she spun her rifle and swung it like a bowstaff, trying to find an opening in the Faunus girl's defenses. She would occasionally fire her rifle at times she felt the angle may allow for a hit. Velvet dodged them all, she was too quick, parrying and deflecting her strikes expertly. Olivia's swings were just too limited.

"Sorry," Velvet apologized as she leapt over an attempt to stab her with the barrel now affixed with a bayonet. She perched herself on top of it for a half moment before performing a backflip off, uppercutting Olivia with her heel as she leapt away.

Olivia shook her head, clearing her blurring vision as she took a step back, putting some breathing space between them.

"I have some surprises," she smiled. Velvet didn't know she and Nora had finished her weapon modifications already and rushed Olivia head on, attempting to get so close her weapon would be useless.

With a twist of her hand the long barrel of her rifle disconnected from the rest of the gun. The tip expanded outward, turning it into a moderately sized one-handed mace. The remainder of the rifle condensed into a mid-ranged pistol, the ammo clip rotating to smaller rounds that could be fired much faster. The bayonet jumped to the now semi-auto pistol doubling its use as a close range knife.

Olivia brought the mace down on Velvet who crossed her arms defensively, unable to dodge from so close while moving forward. The head burst into flames upon impact thanks to the dust cartridges within and knocked the rabbit-Faunus backwards. She didn't have much practice with it…but seeing as Velvet had never been seen using a weapon she was hoping it would be the advantage she needed to overcome her skill.

"Amazing!" They heard Oobleck shout to the crowd. "It appears Mr. Daichi's strength is completely ineffective against Mr. Soplar!"

"Indeed!" Professor Port agreed. "Thus far the young man has been unable to score a significant hit against the first year. What an upset!"

Velvet sighed heavily as Olivia swung again, this time she dodged, a bit of fire barely singing her shoulder armor. Olivia unloaded a volley from her pistol, forcing her back again.

"I was hoping to save this for later…but I guess now is ok if everyone is focused on the other side of the arena," Velvet frowned. "Please don't tell anyone." She reached behind her, tapping the camera she had secured to her back. Olivia had wondered why she'd brought it into the arena.

In an instant a blue beam of light shot from the camera into Velvet's outstretched hands. Olivia could only stare in awe realizing the light was contorting into a new shape.

 _Is that…Yatsuhashi's sword?_

 **Arena Center…**

Yatsuhashi was blasted backwards by a kick from Horatio only preventing a ring out by sinking his sword into the floor and holding tight as it tore through the stadium floor several feet before stopping.

 _He's caught his stride,_ Cinder smiled; with the large man's powerful attacks it'd taken only a few swings before Horatio now overpowered him. The armored brute wasn't catching on as he continued swiping at him with his massive sword.

Horatio was able to block and parry each swing, rotating between his arms and legs. It seemed he had taken some pointers from his fight with Mercury. After a couple rotations he started stepping backwards, Yatsuhashi pressing forward with his attack.

 _He's trying to make it look like he's having trouble keeping up…like with Mercury it just goads his opponent into pushing forward hoping to break through him._

Yatsuhashi brought his sword down with all his might, the same swing he had performed during the Breach which shattered the pavement and sent a group of alpha creepers flying. Horatio narrowly side stepped the swing, leaping into the air to avoid the shockwave produced.

 _Excellent…don't block every swing or your infinite strength will become obvious._ Cinder was actually enjoying the match; she had expected to be bored until the finals. She had no idea Horatio could be so…deceitful.

Horatio slammed his palms onto the ground once the shockwave had passed, with all his strength he wound up his legs, planting both squarely into Yatsuhashi's chest at an angle. The gentle giant was lifted off his feet and sent flying so high he could not hope to stop his momentum again, striking the back wall of the arena and slumping to the ground.

"AND Mr. Daichi has been eliminated by ring out!" Dr. Oobleck exclaimed over the cheers of the crowd.

Horatio leapt for joy, savoring his victory…the feeling did not last.

"Oh dear!" Professor Port announced. "It appears that with Ms. Ramus' aura dropping to the red the match has now been balanced at 3 on 3."

 _Olivia?_ Horatio turned towards the swampy terrain, a familiar rabbit Faunus emerging alone and heading towards Esmerelda and Fox.

Horatio cursed himself for not winning faster…and rushed forward.

 **On the Plains…**

Roland had immediately regretted challenging Coco to melee combat…it was probably worse than the bullets. He charged CFVY's leader with his warglaive, slashing downward while ready to dodge any swings of her handbag.

He had woefully underestimated her; with a simple swipe of her offhand she had parried him at the wrist, knocking his strike away. Simultaneously she swung her handbag, catching him in the face, grabbing his parried wrist she had then proceeded to hurtle the poor man over her head, slamming him into the ground with a crash.

"And Ms. Adel performs a DEVASTATING first strike!" Port shouted, sounding like he was encouraging the beating. "Mr. Mane is out of his element in a solo offensive setting."

Roland growled in frustration at those words, spinning on his side he attempted to clip Coco's ankles but she jumped at the last moment. Using the force of his spin Roland brought himself back to his feet, taking up a defensive stance.

It had not ended there, anytime he rushed her head on she was ready, dodging and countering him with savage blows from her handbag. Considering the immense gun it could become the weight was understandable with the condensed equipment it had to contain within. He had attempted to sever the bag from Coco at the handle, but his blade scrapped off it…being far thicker than it seemed.

The only blow Roland landed required him to sacrifice a shattering hit to his arm; grabbing hold of a wrist he temporarily immobilized her as he delivered a knee to her gut. Coco had barely staggered before realizing he'd knocked her sunglasses off. With a look of pure rage she cracked him across the face with one of her high heeled boots, sending him flying.

"You got spunk," Coco complimented with a wink as she recovered her shades. "Most go down after my first hit."

"I have thick skin," Roland replied with a smirk. Despite the punishment he had taken he was impressed his aura had not yet collapsed into the red. "I take a beating just about every day, a super girlfriend stronger than you will do that."

Unheard by him Yang let an "aww" escape her lips. "Flatterer." Casey and Cinnamon looked absolutely horrified beside her…even Elf had lowered her ears in fear.

Coco let out a chuckle as her handbag reconverted into its gun form. The barrel spinning in preparation to fire, Roland had no time to transform his shield back.

A loud clang announced his salvation as Horatio dove between them, kicking the barrel and sending her first volley sailing into the air towards the crowd. Fortunately the energy barrier surrounding the arena absorbed the blasts, such safety measures were standard.

Coco corrected her weapon and swung sideways, clipping Horatio's torso and sending him sliding away to stop alongside his battered teammate.

"Nice work Roland, I'll take it from here. Ezzy will need backup."

"Good luck!" Roland exclaimed, patting Horatio on the back as he turned to run, not needing to be told twice.

Coco scowled at his attempted retreat, squeezing the trigger and sending a hail of bullets towards the running opponent.

Horatio stepped between them, the bullets impacting his arms crossed in front of him defensively. The force pushed him back several feet but otherwise did no damage. He locked eyes with Coco and grinned.

 **Swamp Outskirts…**

Esmerelda fell backwards, barely dodging Fox's follow-up strike. He seemed to be going faster than before; she had been forced to create three weapon clones to keep the red-haired fighter at bay. Even just an extra year at Beacon showed such growth compared to Team HERO. Despite lack of pupils in his eyes he seemed to have a perfect perception of his surroundings.

Velvet had joined the fray against her; she was now completely on the defensive. Olivia must have been beaten, Esmerelda hoped she was alright. The two were rotating, taking turns attacking her and parrying her weapon clones before the next took advantage of the opening. She was being pushed to the edge of the arena…

"Downfall of King and Country!"

Esmerelda smiled at the words, Roland slammed into Fox from behind and gave her the opening she needed to retreat from the edge with a series of backflips. As they had practiced before, Roland locked his shields, Esmerelda safe behind him. More clones of her blade shimmered around them, four in total…the most she could create without dropping her aura into the red…they had their fortress.

Velvet glanced over at Fox with a worried look on her face, in the distance they could see Coco tied up firing at Horatio who was dodging and otherwise engaging her. She would not be able to provide cover.

"Surround," was the only word Fox uttered. In response Velvet ran around the two, circling to their unprotected back.

Esmerelda reallocated two of her clones to keep an eye on Velvet. With as fast and agile as these two were…their shield wall was not as effective as they'd hoped.

"We hold," Esmerelda muttered to Roland. The two thought it may turn out like this. Team CFVY was better than each of them individually in skill and experience. They hated to admit it, but in their current state they were essentially cornered…

 **The Plains…**

Coco was getting angry; her minigun was running hot. She probably hadn't released the trigger in almost a minute of continuous fire and had spent almost as much ammunition as she used fighting at the Breach.

 _So why…isn't…he…dropping?_

Horatio spent much of their initial confrontation running like a fly you just couldn't catch. At first it'd been fun herding him where she wanted only to cut him off. After a few minutes of that she'd gotten bored and planned to end it, luring him right into a kill zone.

Or so she'd thought.

Despite the unfathomable amount of ammunition she expended, almost every shot she could tell had hit the mark, Team HERO's leader just wouldn't go down. The first few seconds he had been plowed into the ground from the force of the hits…but it didn't take long before he started getting back up! Even pushing against her volley!

"This…is…inconceivable!" Oobleck was shouting from the announcer's box. "I've never seen an aura take such punishment! Yet our readouts are confirming Mr. Soplar's is still holding strong!"

Professor Port just stared, for the first time that year he had no words. The readings had to be broken, presented on the main viewer Mr. Soplar's aura level had not even budged from the green. Coco finally released her grip on the trigger to allow it to cool, glaring daggers at Horatio over her shades.

"Just what are you?"

Horatio brushed himself off, gritting as apparently his entire body was searing hot from the bullets impacting him for so long. Even his aura was shimmering gold. "I am Horatio, Huntsman and leader of Team HERO of Beacon Academy," he answered politely with a smile and quick bow. "Nothing more, nothing less."

With those words he took off towards Coco, his speed vastly improved as he dodged her subsequent volley, he would be on her any second. Coco thought fast, reducing her weapon back to its handbag she blocked his opening swing.

 _He's strong…like a Beringel!_

Coco turned to avoiding Horatio's blows, cartwheeling around them expertly. Despite being stronger and faster than her, Horatio could not land any subsequent attack. Coco's smug smile returned to her face as she noticed his swings were getting slower as his golden aura dimmed. After a failed high kick Coco grabbed Horatio's leg, with a spin she tossed him as hard as she could. He sailed through the air, barely stopping only a few feet from the end of the arena. He sighed heavily in relief that he wasn't thrown completely clear. Coco raced towards him, not even bothering with her gun.

 _Just one more throw…I get that and it's over._

Horatio stood to his full height, raising his foot and slamming it down again and again.

 _Geez calm down,_ Coco thought to herself. _No need to throw a tantrum._

No one saw Cinder's smile deepen at Horatio's actions.

As Coco drew closer Horatio inhaled deep, leaping high into the air as he had done on Merlot's island. She came to a screeching halt where he had been standing, her sunglasses sliding down her nose in surprise at how high he had gone. Horatio raised his fists at the apex of his jump, spinning fast to accelerate his momentum back down.

Coco realized his plan too late.

He slammed into the arena with such force the floor shattered, the ripple effect lifting Coco clean off her feet along with the tiles, dirt and rubble sending her flying…out of the arena and into the wall upside down. She slumped to the ground, staggering to her feet with a frustrated groan on her lips.

"And Ms. Adel is eliminated in a DEVASTATING ring out!" Professor Port shouted, finally having rediscovered his voice. "They will need to repair the stadium after that one!"

"Ah but it appears Mr. Soplar is equally eliminated!" Oobleck pointed out.

"Wha...?" Horatio stuttered. He had just landed right in his original starting location within the arena and had plenty of aura, how was he…?

Looking down, Horatio realized he had hit the ground with such force that he'd gone clean through the plains…and the default marble underneath, he was now standing squarely on the dirt floor beneath the stadium.

"Oh come on!" he cried out in frustration at his technically accurate ring out.

From the nearby stands Cinder just facepalmed. Recovering the moment before Horatio spotted her, responding to his look with a wink and acting as if she was fanning herself with her hand.

 _Well…he did eliminate CFVY's best…it's a start at least._

 **Swamp Outskirts…**

Esmerelda and Roland struggled under the assault of Velvet and Fox from both sides. Roland had already been forced to split his shield in two and they were revolving like a door. It was a delaying tactic at best. They had heard the announcement that both their respective team leaders were eliminated, the four of them were all that remained.

"I can't watch!" Cinnamon covered her eyes as Roland took another blow from Fox. He was clearly getting tired.

"You have to!" Yang exclaimed, she was already on her feet, punching empty air as if she were fighting alongside him. "Roland can take care of himself…I toughened him up after all! Have some faith in your brother!"

Elf let out a solemn howl.

"Got a plan?" Roland whispered to Esmerelda.

She glanced between Fox and Velvet...not wanting to admit it but they'd barely hurt the red-haired boy's aura…Velvet's on the other hand sputtered when overexerted…Olivia must have done some damage. It shouldn't take much more to...

"Just one," she smiled. "Put your shield together and cover me...be ready when I give the signal."

With that last word she bounded over his head sprinting towards the rabbit Faunus before Roland could clarify what she meant by a signal, her weapon clones followed behind. Fox saw her charge and looked to step in the path, only to be faced with Roland again, cutting off his assistance.

Velvet was skilled…but even she couldn't keep up with Esmerelda and four additional weapons assailing her at once tired as she was. With a frown of frustration she pulled back several feet, her hand falling to the camera at her hip. Esmerelda saw her chance.

Falling down on all fours her weapon clones seemed to merge into one over her back and flew towards the Faunus girl who had paused to reach for her camera.

Velvet looked up too late, realizing the single violet weapon split back into four an instant before impact. She barely had time to groan before all of them struck her chest, blasting her backwards into a large swamp tree. As she slammed into the trunk the weapons lit up…and detonated.

"And Ms. Scarlatina's aura is knocked into the red with that incredible strike! "Oobleck announced as the readout at the side ticked down. "Team CFVY is on the ropes!"

Not giving a moment to rest Esmerelda extended her real weapon to its maximum ten-foot length and buried it into the ground. With all of her clones expended she would have to make do without.

"Roland! Down!"

Planting her legs, Esmerelda spring boarded off her naginata's haft full speed towards the two men still fighting across the field, leaving it behind. Roland heard her shout and complied, dropping down to one knee. Esmerelda shoulder slammed Fox HARD, sending both of them flying towards the edge of the arena like a projectile.

Fox rolled in mid-air to push Esmerelda off him, sending her falling out of the ring alone and skidding across the dirt floor. The agile member of Team CFVY was able to use the momentum from the throw to stop himself, dropping down just barely at the edge of the ring, waving his arms in the air to steady himself…a strong breeze would have thrown him over the side.

After several seconds Fox righted himself, his feet now securely on the arena floor once again. He sighed with relief that he had successfully balanced.

His relief was short lived as Roland's shield caught him in the chest in that exact moment, sending him flying backwards again into the far wall and landing beside Esmerelda with a thud. The shield buried itself into the stone above him, the throw clearly intended for a one-way trip.

"With that double ring out Team HERO moves on to the next round in a STUNNING UPSET!" Professor Port announced to a thunderous applause. He could not believe the team he had personally supervised throughout the year would be eliminated in the first round.

Team HERO reconvened in the center of the stadium, hands raised towards the applause in victory. Olivia had staggered out of the swamp with Roland's help, she was groggy but otherwise fine. Team RWBY and the others were on their feet applauding the win.

"On that note, we will be having a brief intermission before the final match of the day to make…repairs to the arena." Oobleck announced. "We thank you all for your patience."

"We can go congratulate them before the repairs are done," Yang offered enthusiastically. The others nodded in agreement if only to stretch their stiff legs.

Weiss raised her arms; it felt good to stand again. Following Blake she glanced up at the sky, her jaw dropping open, so entranced she barely noticed Ruby crash into her from behind.

"Weiss…what are you...doing?"

The snow-haired heiress never took her eyes off the horizon as a familiar looking Atlesian cruiser drifted through the sky. Four long extravagant banners billowed behind it gracefully as it drifted towards the airship dock.

"She's here," Weiss sighed, a genuine smile forming on her face much to the confusion of her team.

 **Ozpin's Office…**

Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood watched the conclusion of the match, turning to one another in understanding.

"Remarkable," Ironwood whispered, still focused on Horatio's survival of Coco's initial barrage. "It has to be him…no doubt about it."

"Very little doubt left," Ozpin cautioned. "I received another update; he followed up on some leads in the field but refused to give an update except in person."

 _Of course his timing would coincide with Specialist Schnee's…_

"How long until he arrives?"

"That I do not know," Ozpin sighed. "Based on his last transmission if he had traveled nonstop he should have been here by now."

Ironwood sighed, massaging his temples. "You fully know as well as I what he stopped on the way to do…"

 **Crowbar…**

"Now THAT was a match!" The bartender exclaimed as he cleaned an old shot glass.

"That was a hot mess," the sole remaining patron in the bar groaned under his breath. Taking a deep sip of his drink.

 _How do you ring yourself out THROUGH the floor?_

"Come on," the bartender groaned as he complained at another match. "You don't like the Vale kids, you didn't like that JNPR team trouncing BRNZ…what fight are you here for?"

The man was appeared middle-aged, his black hair currently in the process of losing out to grey. He had an old suit with an out of place red-cloak around his back. He'd been hanging out at the bar all day. With a sigh he glanced out the window, a custom Atlesian Cruiser flew past trailing ornate banners that barely disappeared into the distance by the time he finished turning.

"That one," the man answered, downing the last of his drink and dropping the money onto the bar. "Happy Vytal Festival!" He exclaimed, slurring his words as he stumbled outside.

"You'll miss the last fight! I hear Team NDGO is a favorite!" The bartender called out to no reply. With a shrug he returned to cleaning the shot glass, accidentally knocking a nearby mug over to shatter on the floor.

"Aw," he sighed sadly at the broken remains, cursing his bad luck. "Gee darn it."

 **HERO, RWBY and their friends have succeeded in reaching the next round, manipulations and machinations churning around them. As always read and review...but most of all enjoy! :)**


	26. Family Reunions

**The Team Battles draw to a close as families converge at Beacon, granting insight into the personal lives of our heroes. A big thank you to all of my readers enjoying this tale :).**

"Weiss…what's the….big deal," Ruby panted having chased her teammate all the way from their seats to the airship dock near the stadium.

Esmerelda and Olivia were close behind equally winded. They did not know the reason for Weiss' excitement…but the beautiful sight of a customized Atlesian cruiser landing so close was too enticing to pass up. The fight between Team SSSN and NDGO would be starting but they should easily make it back before the arena was repaired.

Weiss stood staring at the airship that had just landed, a genuine smile of pride etched on her face as the doors opened.

"Winter," she announced more to herself than them.

"Who is Winter?" Esmerelda stood on her tippy toes for a better look.

"Weiss' sister," Ruby explained, remembering several times Weiss had mentioned her when writing home.

The girls looked in awe as a woman stepped down the ramp that had emerged from the ship flanked by several Atlesian Knights. She wore an Atlas uniform consisting of a custom white coat clasped at the neck with a red brooch. Olivia instantly fell in love with the design as the shoulders were cut open for greater movement in a similar fashion to her own. Winter had a buttoned up blue vest beneath that reminded them of General Ironwood's.

The family resemblance to Weiss was evident, blue eyes and a snow-like fair complexion. Her silver-white hair was tied into a bun favoring the left side of her head, causing large bangs to nearly cover the right side of her face. While only being in her twenties, her grace, sternness and composure with how she carried herself reflected a maturity through experience beyond her years.

"Winter!" Weiss called cheerily as she ran towards her big sister. "Oh I am SO happy to see you!" As she reached her she suddenly became self-conscious of how she was acting. As if a switch had been flipped she suddenly stood up tall and proper, curtsying to her sister. "Your presence honors us."

Esmerelda imitated her, elbowing Olivia who did the same awkwardly. Ruby stood beside them frozen, the shows of respect the others were performing completely lost on her.

"Beacon…it's been a long time," Winter mused, glancing around her at the buildings as she approached the gathered students. "The air feels…different."

"I mean…it is fall," Ruby theorized from Winter's statement. "So it's probably colder…"

Weiss nonchalantly wound up her fist, punching Ruby squarely in the back of the head. The blow did not knock her down, but the red-hooded huntress froze in shock gripping her head, unable to believe what Weiss had just done.

"So…what brings you here?" Weiss asked, acting as if she hadn't done anything.

"Classified," Winter answered quickly.

"Oh, right. Well, how long are you staying?"

"Classified," Winter repeated.

"Of course."

"Well…this is nice…I think," Ruby muttered to the others after a long silence. They had never seen her look so uncomfortable.

"Atlas discipline is quite strict," Esmerelda whispered to her, still standing at attention, hands behind her back. "I can give you some pointers later."

"You're going to love it here!" Weiss exclaimed, her previous pristine proper appearance melted away again. "I know you travel a lot but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas…Vale too! The government and school are COMPLETELY separate, can you believe it!? I…"

"I am more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its…bureaucracy." Winter interrupted, practically forcing out the final word. "That is not why I came."

"Well yea…you said why was classified…" Olivia started before being elbowed by Weiss.

"Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle. But it appears I have no choice in the matter."

Everyone froze solid at those words.

"But…we won!" Weiss countered.

"She had half their team tripping over their own feet!" Olivia defended Weiss. "It was a 4-0 knockout!"

Winter glared between Weiss and Olivia. "Only a novice would refer to that as a victory...much like your own Team's victory."

"More than the teams did," Olivia mumbled, twiddling her thumbs as she stared at her own feet.

Winter narrowed her eyes at her before continuing. "I counted at least three strikes missed." Weiss lowered her head in shame. With a hand wave Winter motioned towards the knights following her. "Leave us."

The mechanical soldiers nodded, turning to take up guard posts around the ship. Winter lowered her head, sighing heavily as her demeanor seemed to soften.

"How have you been?"

Weiss raised her head back up, her smile returned. "Oh splendid! Thank you for asking! I'm actually in the very top ranking of our sparring class. The rest of my studies are going wonderfully too. I'm…"

Weiss did not get a chance to finish, in a flash Winter backhanded her upside the head. The blow was stern but clearly lacked any real power behind it.

"Silence you boob!" She snapped, eliciting a snicker from Olivia and Ruby, Esmerelda continued to hold her ground. "I don't recall asking about your ranking…I asked how you've BEEN. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

"Wow," Ruby whispered back to Olivia. "She actually has a big sister button…why couldn't she have led with that from the start?"

"Well…there's Ruby, and Olivia, and Esmerelda," she motioned to each one in turn.

Esmerelda nodded professionally in greeting, Olivia waved awkwardly feeling very intimidated by the older woman. Ruby barely noticed she had been introduced, choosing instead to poke the small lump formed on Weiss' head from Winter's backhand.

"Boob, hehe," she chuckled.

"I…see," Winter continued, clearly uncertain what to make of the girl. "So this is the leader you wrote of…how appropriately…underwhelming."

 _I'd love to read that letter_

"Uh….thank you," was Ruby's only reply, her mind clearly working overtime to determine how such a statement could be construed as positive.

"Greetings Ruby Rose…Olivia Ramus…Esmerelda Moto…I wish to thank each of you for taking an interest in my sister."

 _She knows all our names…not unsettling or ominous at all._

"Oh yes," Ruby started, clearly trying to make a good first impression. "Of course, the honor is in my…court!" She haphazardly curtseyed, clearly trying to maintain her balance.

Esmerelda groaned, she could take no more. Breaking her stance she approached Ruby.

"Don't move."

As Ruby remained frozen, Esmerelda proceeded to bend her knees at the proper angle, straightened her back and positioned her arms to grip the hems of her skirt properly, finishing with a slight tilting of the younger girl's neck. Once she found her work suitable she stood back at attention, hands behind her back. She had adjusted Ruby into a proper curtsy, drawing even a smirk of amusement from Winter. Ruby held the perfect pose for several seconds before she fell forward like a plank still holding the new position.

"Your presence honors us," Esmerelda bowed politely, attempting to adhere to as many disciplinary protocols as she could remember. "May your stay be productive and free of complications."

Winter raised an eyebrow, impressed by her demeanor. "It is reassuring to see that some courtesy is taught in this kingdom." She graced Esmerelda with a slight head nod of approval.

"You ship is GORGEOUS!" Olivia gushed once she had an opening. Winter glanced at her warily. "The four aerodynamic nacelles give it a mix of grace and practicality, the engine was so silent, is it the latest model…oh and the flags are a PERFECT touch."

Winter stared for a moment before answering, replying to each of her statements in turn.

"Indeed, it does, that is classified, of course they are…I requisitioned them myself."

Weiss sighed serenely at her unshakable composure.

 _Oh how I've missed her._

"I have business with the General and your Headmaster," Winter finally advised, her stern face softening into a sisterly smile. "But…seeing as I am early, why don't you take me to your quarters Weiss?"

"Really?" she gasped with joy.

"Yes," Winter started to walk forward alongside her little sister. "I wish to inspect them and make sure they are up to my personal standards."

"Of course," Weiss pushed past Ruby and kept pace with Winter as they headed back towards the dormitories. "Just so you are aware…the bunk beds only LOOK unstable."

"Bunk…beds?" Winter asked apprehensively, she did not recall such accommodations being used at Beacon.

"It was nice to meet you!" Olivia called after them, she, Ruby and Esmerelda had remained where they stood, content to allow Weiss to have quality time with her sister she clearly looked up to.

"I'll meet up with y…" Ruby started before reconsidering her words. "I…I mean I will…reconvene with you both at a later…juncture!"

Esmerelda facepalmed, laying her other hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You…you can stop trying Ruby. It's ok…she's gone."

"Yea, just be yourself," Olivia called out, wrapping an arm around Ruby's neck. "Come on, I can tell you all about my weapon upgrades on the way back to our seats."

Ruby's eyes transformed into stars at her words, she hadn't gotten a good look at her weapon through the swamp-jungle biome during the fight.

"I cannot believe you did it without me! How long can the flame last before it goes out? How many pounds per square inch of force can you generate? What's the ammo capacity after the body condenses to a pistol?" She gasped loudly as the last question entered her mind. "What did you name her?"

Olivia smiled proudly as she decided to answer her last inquiry first.

"It's a 'he' actually; I wanted to do something simple…Jackal…after my dad."

 **Vytal Festival Fairgrounds…**

"H-here you go," Cameron offered an ice cream cone to Penny. The two had decided to relax during the final match. He was grateful his team had decided not to compete in the tournament. With how many people were in attendance, lines elsewhere at the Vytal Festival were far more manageable. Despite her delicate demeanor Penny was unshakable...no matter what rides they went on or how high they went her smile never faltered. Embarrassingly he had been the one draped over a bucket after the last ride had unsettled him, Penny patting his back reassuringly the whole time.

"Thank you," Penny accepted the cone with a smile. She proceeded to lick the ice cream slowly; he could not help but notice she timed every lick in precise intervals.

Cameron didn't know how he had gotten so lucky, what had started as a single dance had turned into…something more. Penny told him she was a first year from Atlas making him technically her senior by a year. He had watched eagerly as her team breezed through to the second round of the Vytal tournament.

Cameron had never considered himself special, his combat prowess was lacking as he was fully aware. His weapon of choice had been a cane that could extend into a chain whip with various dust choices to infuse into it…but his combat scores were barely average. His true love had lain with flying, piloting Bullheads, transports, anything he could get his hands on that flew. He had joined Beacon out of his desire to fly not just for anyone…but for Huntsman and Huntresses saving lives, they would save others…and maybe he could save them.

He had been very shy and didn't talk to many of his classmates except during missions, his task to search for Horatio had been the turning point for him. After rescuing him and his girlfriend Cinder the two spoke on the way back to Beacon, the gratitude in his eyes at the timely rescue had cemented Cameron's desire to continue his studies. He probably wouldn't have even gone to the dance had Horatio and his team not talked him into it.

And that's when he'd met her, the most beautiful girl in the world. He'd seen her dancing alone save two guards apparently assigned by the General himself. Despite their intimidating nature he'd found the courage to ask Penny for a dance. By some grace he surely didn't deserve not only had they allowed him to speak to her…she'd said yes.

"Are…you alright?" Penny had noticed him staring at her grinning like an idiot. Quickly he recomposed himself.

"Just thinking," he smiled. "With your work for the General you barely have any spare time."

"You…would like to spend more time with me?" She asked, acting as if that was a surprise.

Cameron laughed slightly. "Of course I would! You're funny, dedicated to your work and the kindest person I know!"

 _And a grip like a vice,_ he chuckled remembering their first dance.

"But…you know so little about me, what if there is something you don't like?"

 _What an odd question._

"I m-mean," he stuttered over his words. "That's the point of us dat…spending time together right? There may be things you don't like about me either…finding that out is…normal."

Penny stared at him blankly as if she had no words before smiling wider than he'd ever seen her. Cameron was certain he was blushing.

"Ms. Polendina!" A stern voice called out from the distance.

The two turned to see General Ironwood standing not far approaching fast with two knights behind him. Penny handed her barely-touched cone over to Cameron as she stood at attention with a salute.

"There is an…incident that may require additional assistance, accompany me to the Airship Docks."

"Yes sir!" Penny shouted. She briefly turned to Cameron with a sad wave. "I'll see you tomorrow Cam."

"May I help sir?" Cameron asked, standing to his feet with a salute.

General Ironwood turned to the young man. "That won't be necessary Mr. Hunter, I highly doubt any true altercation will take place, Ms. Polendina's presence is merely a precautionary measure. She will be quite safe I assure you."

Cameron lowered his salute with a strong proclamation. "Sir…yes sir!"

 _General Ironwood AND Penny with an escort…who could they possibly think would be willing to cause a problem around them?_

 **Beacon Airship Dock…**

Weiss and her sister had not even gotten out of the Airship Dock before they heard a loud crash behind them followed by the sound of metal clattering to the ground. Spinning on their heels they spotted the twin Atlesian Knights that had been accompanying Winter scattered several yards away in pieces.

"Hey Ice Queen," the strange man standing over the mechanical pile called out.

Weiss just stared at the man in the distance; he appeared to be wobbling as if he was unable to stand. How did he know the nickname given to her at Beacon?

"Excuse me?" She replied angrily, marching right up to him. As she got closer the smell alerted her that he was obviously inebriated. "Do you have ANY idea who you are talking t…?"

"Sssshhhh," the man shushed her, shoving his hand in her face as he pushed her away. "Not you." With Weiss out of the way her turned with a glare…aimed directly towards her sister. "You…I saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here too."

"I'm standing right before you," Winter pointed out.

The man squinted at her, as if trying to determine if she was telling the truth. "So it would seem." He answered still sounding apprehensive as to whether she was actually there.

 _He's drunk again…did he forget my ultimatum?_

"You realize you just destroyed Atlas Military property?" Winter scowled upon realizing his drunkenness, her eyes glancing over the scrapped knights around him. The man looked down at them, throwing his arms up defensively as if he'd just now noticed their presence.

"Oohhh, I'm sorry…see I took this for some sort of…sentient garbage." Despite his clear inebriation, he formed a suave smile at Winter with his last words.

"I don't have time for your immature games Qrow!"

"Wait…you two know each other?" Weiss asked, she did not recognize him though Winter did travel quite often.

"We go…way back," Qrow turned his head to the side and winked at Winter as if he were trying to be discreet. He was not.

"Qrow!" Winter shouted to silence him in front of her sister.

"What? Ashamed of your old friends in front of family? You Atlas Specialists think you're SO special don't you?"

Winter did not hesitate in pointing out the redundancy of his statement. "It's IN the title."

"I used to think that about you too Ice Queen…but do you know what you really are now? A bunch of sellouts! Just like your boss."

Winter's face betrayed a hint of shock at his first statement before she regained the stern glare she had mastered over the years.

"I'm not sure what you THINK you're implying…but I've heard enough."

"Oh, I heard too," Qrow retorted. "I heard Ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin."

"Ozpin?" Weiss asked confused, the two were Headmasters of their respective schools. What did this drunken loudmouth mean by him selling out Ozpin? Only now did she notice that the altercation had drawn quite the crowd, many of them had abandoned returning to the stadium for the final team fight to watch.

"Weiss." Winter interjected at the mention of Ozpin. "It's time for you to go."

"Listen to big sister Weiss," Qrow finally acknowledged her presence. "She'll protect you. Just like Atlas will protect all of us…isn't that right?"

Winter's scowl deepened at his words. "If you won't hold your tongue…" She drew her sword, a custom saber she had designed herself, and aimed it squarely at the man. "Then I will GLADLY remove it for you!"

Weiss took a step back, who was this man to break Winter's unshakable calm so easily?

"Fine," he replied, his voice seemingly more composed and clear. With a smile and wave of his hand he flipped his hair back dramatically. "Come take it."

Winter reacted in a flash, disappearing from Weiss' side as she flew at the man; sword aiming straight for his head. Impossibly, Qrow ducked her blow causing it to miss him entirely. Winter immediately corrected and swung again…and again, each time he managed to avoid it with minimal movement, he hadn't even budged from his original position. As Winter swung down he took a single step backwards, avoiding the blow by bowing low to her.

Winter's calm was clearly chipping away, eyes wide in irritation she brought her blade down on his new position. Her swing was blocked as Qrow finally brought up the enormous sword he had slung horizontally across his back. With an expert flip he aimed it squarely at Winter, his smile unbroken. She glanced at his familiar sword; with a deep breath she regained her composure. The two simultaneously tapped the tips of their blades together in a sign of respect…before the true onslaught began.

The two started fighting…for real; Weiss had never seen anything like it. She thought she had known speed, but the pace the two were going at was…incredible. Despite Qrow's size advantage Winter would expertly parry him before countering, eventually he pushed back, slashing furiously towards her. Winter backflipped gracefully away, Weiss looked on amazed as she realized Winter was parrying each blow as she flipped…with her heels! Eventually she came to a stop before reaching the circle of spectators and went on the offensive.

"What is going on? Ruby demanded, appearing alongside Weiss with Olivia and Esmerelda. The three hadn't gotten far before hearing the ruckus and rushed back to help.

"Some crazy guy just destroyed our knights and started attacking my sister!" Weiss was beside herself between explaining it to them while continuing to watch the exchange.

"Is security on the way?" Esmerelda asked, looking around to view the fight. Her mouth dropped open as she watched. Compared to the brutish albeit effective tactics of the 'crazy guy' Winter's movements were calculated, fluid and graceful. She was everything Esmerelda strived to be.

Olivia's heart sank a little upon spotting the destroyed Atlas Knights...such a waste of good tech.

"Oh no," Ruby muttered nervously as she turned to watch. "Who would do such a th…AAAAAT IS MY UNCLE!"

"WHAT?!" Weiss, Olivia and Esmerelda exclaimed, glancing back and forth between Ruby and the attacker…unable to see the resemblance.

"KICK HER BUTT UNCLE QROW!"

"Teach him respect Winter!" Weiss cheered for her older sister as the two continued their battle. The number of spectators only growing the more impressive their struggle grew…

 **Vytal Stadium Locker Room…**

Horatio stretched his arms, grateful that the first round of the tournament was over. At least he and his team had time to relax as participants are given a day of rest between rounds. He was alone with his thoughts as the rest of Team HERO had already dispersed before the next match started. He'd easily make it to their seats in time.

"Crude…but effective."

Horatio spun on his heels; he had not seen Cinder emerge from near the entrance.

"Don't…do that!" Horatio laughed upon seeing it was her. Her voice had sounded so ominous, but upon inspection she had a serene smile, the two did not match.

"It would seem…both our teams did quite well."

"Yea," he replied. "Not quite as one-sided as yours. It was touch and go there for a bit against Coco…she was much faster than me."

"Not faster," Cinder corrected. "Better at reading you." Horatio squinted at her, confused as to her meaning. "Your speed and strength were…superb against her, but your movements were obvious. Even being faster, she knew what you would do before you did it. It is the one flaw in your…technique."

 _That...and maybe not being ruthless enough in your tactics..._

"If only I could read minds," he chuckled again, though it was cut short as he realized Cinder was not.

"No need," she answered, stepping even closer, placing herself directly in front of him. "I can teach you…to predict what they will do from a glance of their eyes, their body movements…make them move where you want and shore up the crack in your armor.

 _And make you a force to be reckoned with…my force._

"You are free tomorrow…no?"

"I…I am," he stuttered, feeling embarrassed by her proximity despite how close they had become over the months. "I can close my stall early…but…wouldn't it be better to wait until after the tournament? I'll be fighting against your own team after all…"

Cinder stroked her hand gently across his cheek as she had done before. No matter how often he was with her it always seemed like it was the first time, sending chills through his core.

"After the tournament there will be no time, the others will understand…it is always better to seize the moment."

Horatio had forgotten that Cinder studied at Haven Academy…or perhaps he had allowed it to slip his mind out of the foolish hope that would make it not true. Once the Vytal Festival ended she would return and be gone until the next festival two years away. In a flash he gripped her left hand, flipping it over; once again he placed a tender kiss upon the back just below the knuckle. Unbeknownst to Horatio and even Cinder herself…her smile grew a bit more genuine in that moment.

"I couldn't agree more."

 **At the Airship Dock…**

The match between Winter and Qrow continued, neither one seeming to be able to gain an advantage over the other. It was clear the two had a past, their movements, parries and ripostes all had an energy behind them…this was personal. The collateral damage was building up; already Qrow had knocked a hole through the pavement while Winter had decapitated several lamp posts to say nothing of the numerous holes blown in various walls from his hidden gun barrels. The crowd had backed up to give them more room.

 _These two either absolutely love or loathe one another,_ was Esmerelda's first thought as she barely managed to keep up watching their spar. Based upon the scowl etched into Winter's face…she was leaning towards the latter. The fight was truly intimidating, she had spotted Mercury who had walked by only to see what was happening and immediately turn in the opposite direction.

"I told you this would happen if you appeared drunk before me again did I not?" Winter muttered to Qrow during one of their clashes, careful to speak low enough that no one else could hear.

"Sorry," he whispered back. "Can't help myself...despite what everyone says, it does help ya know?"

Winter's look of annoyance slowly gave way to absolute rage.

 _Mother said the same thing…_

Falling back and kneeling, Winter formed a glyph on the ground, releasing a flock of birds seemingly made of ice. Upon closer inspection they all appeared to be miniature Nevermores, did they even come in so small a size?

The flock swarmed Qrow, forcing him to prop his sword up like a shield in order to keep them at bay. Winter was smiling proudly as she focused, controlling them with her thoughts. It must have taken deep concentration to command so many. With a swing of his blade Qrow sent a shockwave towards the kneeling Winter, forcing her to jump away. The flock dispersed the moment she moved.

A glyph appeared behind her similar to the ones Weiss had used to catapult Ruby in the past; it pulsated wildly as if it too was filled with absolute frustration at her opponent.

Qrow's smug expression remained ever unchanged; he fell back into a defensive stance in preparation for Winter's attack…Esmerelda could have sworn she saw his sword curve. As quickly as he had readied himself, suddenly he relaxed, sheathing his weapon across his back…was he giving up? Winter's confusion returned to rage as the drunken Huntsman leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear as he pointed at his own jaw, his message all too clear.

 _Hit me right here…I dare you._

Winter tensed her entire body, sword aimed squarely at his throat.

"General Sir!" Esmerelda shouted behind her, standing at attention as tall as she could, it seemed to be instinctive for her now.

Everyone spun around with Winter, General Ironwood accompanied by Penny and a squad of Atlesian Knights could be seen fast approaching. Not far behind were Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch, ready to defuse the situation. Qrow groaned in disappointment, clearly hoping Winter wouldn't have noticed his presence until it was too late.

"General Ironwood…Sir!" She exclaimed, standing at attention instantly.

"What…do you think you're doing?" The General asked sternly, Penny peaked around from behind him, concerned for all parties involved.

"He started the altercation Sir," Winter reported, her calm demeanor restored with the General's presence.

"That's actually not true," Qrow leaned forward, his arms over his head as he unceremoniously addressed the General. "She attacked first."

"After Atlas military property had been attacked and destroyed…Sir," Esmerelda added after an uncomfortable silence from Winter. It was obvious what had transpired yet Weiss' older sister seemed shaken that she had been provoked so easily.

"Is that right?" Ironwood asked, glancing over at Esmerelda for a moment. "And you…" he glared directly at Qrow who replied with wide innocent eyes and a finger pointing at himself as if to say 'who me?' It was the first time a resemblance to Ruby could be found beyond his red cape. "We have been waiting for you…you are late."

"You almost were too Jimmy," Qrow retorted, massaging this neck where Winter's sword had been aimed. "Getting slow in your old age?"

"Now now," Ozpin stepped in, realizing that they were hardly alone with the dozens of spectators who had gathered. "There is a sanctioned fight happening just around the corner at the Coliseum that I can assure you has better seats…AND popcorn." His face practically lit up at the mention of food as he swirled the coffee mug in his hands to mix the contents.

"Break it up everyone!" Ms. Goodwitch stepped in with a hand wave. "We will take care of this mess."

Ironwood glanced around at the slowly dispersing crowd, adjusting his tie with a sharp tug. He did not like being talked down to…especially not in front of an audience. It was only the sight of Ms. Goodwitch repairing the damage from their fight that brought the vestige of a smile back to his lips.

"Let's go," he ordered, the small troop of knights and Winter fell into line behind him. Penny followed suit, however turned to wave cheerily at Ruby and the others before disappearing into the distance.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby screamed, throwing herself at him and gripping his arm lovingly. The experienced Huntsman proceeded to raise his arm, taking Ruby with it seemingly without effort. "It's so good to see you! Did you miss me? DID YOU MISS ME!?"

The Uncle and Niece stared at each other for a moment, his face still flat and unreadable while hers had become the embodiment of rainbows and puppies. In a flash his stern face broke into a smile as he replied.

"Nope," the two proceeded to laugh together as he ruffled her hair playfully.

"Qrow!" Opzin called out, interrupting their adorable moment. "A word in my office…please."

Olivia chuckled as she leaned over the Esmerelda who had only just now started to relax. "You got her Uncle in trouuuuubllleeee."

"I merely told the truth!" Esmerelda answered with a huff.

"Wait…" only now had Ozpin's words sunk in upon his arrival. Olivia grabbed Esmerelda's arm and turned to shout to Ruby and Weiss.

"The last sanctioned match has started…we're going to miss Sun and Neptune's fight!"

 **Team SSSN Vs NDGO**

The four girls finally reached their seats, the remainder of their teams having saved their spots. The match between Teams SSSN and NDGO was already well underway, the remaining combatants engaging one another throughout the arena.

"How are they doing? Weiss asked, plopping back into her seat while looking for Neptune among the battle.

Sun was battling Octavia, parrying her sword strokes expertly, on the other side Scarlet was holding off Nebula and Gwen while it seemed Sage had already been eliminated via ring out. She finally spotted Neptune standing atop a mountain peak far from his team taking pot shots at Dew.

"Why…is he over there?" She asked, wondering why he was not utilizing the melee capabilities of his weapon.

"Oh no," Esmerelda sighed as she looked over the arena. The biome selected for Team NDGO was a flat desert with a large mountain in its center while SSSN's had been a beach setting complete with wreckage from an old sailing ship. Neptune was fighting at the mountain top as far from the water as he could get. "Neptune is…afraid of the water." She relayed, remembering their conversations at the team party. Blake nodded in agreement, having been told long ago by Sun.

The entire audience cheered as Sun performed a brutal kick to Octavia's head, somehow the girl was still standing but not for long. Sun immediately split his bowstaff into the twin gunchucks and proceeded to rain a fury of blows upon her. Octavia's fighting style was not accustomed to attacks from multiple angles, she could parry one, only to receive no fewer than three blows before she could regain her bearings and parry again. It did not take long before she was sent flying, her aura reduced to the red.

"And with THAT we are down to 3 on 3!" Professor Port exclaimed as Sun rushed off to assist against Dew.

"These guys are so mean!" Casey called out; she had abandoned Elf's back to lean over the railing as much as she could to watch. "I thought guys were supposed to be gentlemen and not hit girls!"

"That is…a problematic adage," Roland shuffled uncomfortably considering he and Horatio were the only men in their entire row.

"Then it'd be no fun!" Yang pulled him from the fire. "If they just stood around the fight would be over too quick!"

"Being a true gentleman is…complicated," Horatio tried to explain, having arrived in time from the locker room. "We must adapt to every woman we meet…there is no broad example to follow. For instance…if I refused to fight Yang, Nora or Cinder simply because they are women I would be disrespecting them as it is their chosen path…and then get pounded into the dirt."

Casey and Cinnamon nodded their heads though maintained their look of confusion. Yang and Blake had to stifle a laugh at his last comment.

"Thanks for the save," Roland whispered to his team leader. "Well said."

"I see the wisdom of your team captain has not been an exaggeration," a flat deep voice interrupted, everyone turned to the newcomer.

A tall man wearing a black suit stood in the walkway near their row; he was standing as straight as possible and seemed incapable of slouching in the slightest. His right hand was bare though his left had a thin glove giving it a gray coloration. His blonde hair was cut short yet professionally. He adjusted a thick pair of glasses with a single hand; Yang immediately recognized the same gesture Cinnamon and Casey had performed at her interview.

Standing beside him was a woman; she was clearly older though only had the barest hint of wrinkles on her face. Her hair was black and curly ending just at the shoulders. She looked somewhat rugged due to the ripped black jeans she wore along with a white sleeveless shirt with leather vest overtop. Her identity was unmistakable...Roland had her gold eyes.

"Mama! Papa!" Casey and Cinnamon called out, running up to embrace the couple as they knelt to reciprocate the gesture.

"Hiya Mom, Dad," Roland was close behind them, looking quite surprised. "H-how have you been?"

"We've been doing well," the woman replied, hugging Roland as well. "I had a feeling your sisters would seek you out." She scratched Elf behind the ear, silently thanking her for watching over them as she always did.

"I thought you two didn't care for the fights, I was planning to meet you both tonight at the hotel."

"We didn't come here for the fight," his mother smiled cheerily. "Though we are VERY proud of your team's win. We came looking for our little girls," she glanced over at the others gathered, focusing on Yang. "Is she the one you wrote so highly of?"

Roland paled, glaring menacingly at his sisters who hid behind Elf. He had written the letters for them alone. _Mom must have squeezed it out of them. They KNEW I would be nearby with her._ Finally he sighed, turning to give his parents a view of the others in the stands.

"Everyone, this is my Mom and Dad. Mom, Dad, these are my teammates Horatio, Olivia and Esmerelda."

"Phillip Mane, at your service."

"Barbara Mane, it is lovely to meet you."

They each bowed, waved or otherwise nodded a return greeting while attempting to see the outcome of the match still raging in the arena.

"And this…is Team RWBY."

"Ms. Schnee," Mr. Mane bowed politely. "Of course I know her, my firm does business with her father quite often."

"This is their team Leader Ruby, Blake…and this…is Yang."

Yang stepped to the side, putting herself directly in front of the couple, Roland standing by her side. The older businessman looked her up and down before extending his gray left hand.

"It is agreeable to meet Roland's first girlfriend, I do hope he has not been too much of a bother."

"DAD!"

Yang took his hand, giving a strong handshake. His grip was quite sturdy despite his time working behind a desk.

"No bother at all, he is my butter half."

Roland's mother stifled a laugh, snorting somewhat as she held it in.

"Ha," his father let out the flattest single laugh they had ever heard yet seemed amused by her attempt. "I see what drew Roland to you…he and my beloved wife share that same sense of humor."

"And of course it's what you love MOST about me…right honey?" his wife asked, gripping his arm tighter.

"Of course dear."

"And I thought Weiss' sister was wooden," Olivia whispered to Ruby who replied with a nod.

"I am so glad he found such a beauty," Mrs. Mane gushed, wrapping Yang in a warm motherly hug. "Your last name is Xiao Long, correct?" Yang nodded an affirmative. "How are your father and little Zwei doing?"

"You know Zwei?" Ruby leaned over her shoulder; silver eyes wide open in surprise.

"Well of course," she giggled. "I helped train him after all."

"Mom leads courses training combat hounds," Roland explained. "Predominately out of Vale but she is often called in to consult for other kingdoms."

"He was one of my best," she complimented. "Would have been at the top of his class but he could never get past his obsession with chasing cats…oh I am sorry we could go on, the rest can wait until after your little fight."

Yang and Ruby started laughing as Blake glanced from side to side as if to ensure the combat Corgi hadn't found his way back to them. She had grown somewhat accustomed to Elf nearby despite her size as it was obvious she was quite disciplined and focused on protecting the girls...though Blake was still paranoid she would pounce at any moment.

The entire arena groaned in unison as Sun had thrown a pair of coconuts towards Dew only for her to redirect them back at him with her staff, setting them on fire for the return trip. Sun had evaded the projectiles, his teammate Scarlet had not been so lucky as the first clocked him in the head while the second struck home…between his legs.

Roland and Horatio simultaneously cringed. Even Mr. Mane somewhat flinched.

"Aw nuts," Sun groaned as his teammate collapsed, his aura level well into the red and his face frozen in pain."

"Yang's…attire," Roland's mother whispered to him as the others turned their attention back to the match. "Is it…warmer in Beacon than other parts of Vale?"

"MOM!"

Team SSSN managed to defeat NDGO in the end, Neptune temporarily overcoming his fear of the water to electrocute the remaining girls as they regrouped to finish him and Sun off in the shallow water. The two proceeded to dance in victory…in the most ridiculous fashion anyone among RWBY and HERO could think of.

"That was almost as close as your match," Ruby sighed to Horatio, finally able to relax as she had been on edge the entire fight.

"At least the dorks made it to the next round," Yang complimented.

Blake watched the two of them dance, each flailing their arms in a way they perceived as cool. Sun briefly ceased his chaotic movement to throw a heartwarming smile her way and point her out the crowd.

"Emphasis on dork," she blushed, looking away as she fidgeted in her seat.

 **Ozpin's office**

"What were you thinking?" Winter shouted exasperated at Qrow as he stepped off the elevator alongside Glynda and Ozpin. Ironwood and Winter had arrived ahead first to give them both some time to cool off.

"If you were one of my men I would have you SHOT!" Ironwood stressed, he knew Qrow was not as disciplined as him but still…

"If I were one of YOUR men I would shoot myself," Qrow retorted calmly.

"While I wouldn't condone his behavior," Glynda advised Winter. "Retaliating like you did CERTAINLY did not help the situation."

"He was drunk!" Winter replied exasperated, she could not believe the situation was being turned around on her.

"He's always drunk!"

The four turned towards Qrow…as if he had decided to prove her point he was already taking deep gulps from the flask kept in his jacket, only stopping upon realizing he was the center of attention.

"Qrow," Ozpin sighed as he eased himself into his chair. "Can you please tell the others what you found?"

"You've been out of contact for weeks!" Ironwood berated him before he could begin. You can't just go dark like that in the field!"

"Hey, YOU sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you…our enemy is here."

Ironwood paused before informing Qrow, "We know."

Qrow's relaxed demeanor snapped at those words. "Oh? Oh you know? Well thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you informed!"

"We only discovered recently," Winter explained. "The General was attacked by one of them in the CCT Tower several nights ago."

Qrow glanced back to the general, looking him up and down. "Got off no worse for wear I see."

"Whoever it was had no interest in fighting, they used some sort of disguise…illusion… something that allowed them to slip right out from under me!"

Qrow sighed; Ironwood was clearly on edge and still beating himself up over the failure…no need for him to exacerbate the situation.

"Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn," he went on to explain. "Whoever they are…they're the ones responsible for Amber's condition."

"What?" Glynda asked. Her mind was racing, how could someone that could do that to Amber be in the school without anyone noticing?

"How?" Winter asked. She knew Qrow, despite their many arguments they respected one another.

"That's what I've been TRYING to find out," Qrow replied in a gruff tone, his irritation aimed squarely at Ironwood. "It's a little difficult to find information when everyone is on high alert, so you tell me, when you brought your army to Vale did you think you were being discreet or did you just not give a damn?"

He ended his rant directly face to face with the General, the two glaring at each other coldly.

"Discreet…wasn't working," Ironwood sighed, removing a scroll from his breast pocket he laid it on Ozpin's desk, allowing it to interface with the Vale computers. A holographic layout of his fleet shimmered into view before them.

It was an impressive armada, four Atlesian Command Ships patrolled the skies around the Stadium with dozens of smaller cruisers and dropships flying escort each.

"I'm here because this was necessary," he explained.

"You're here because Ozpin wanted you here!" Qrow stressed. "He made you and Winter a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!"

"And we are grateful!" Ironwood shouted, continuing before Qrow could interrupt again. "That is why I want Mr. Soplar brought in as well! As Ozpin felt I was needed...so I feel he is as well."

"You mean Hattori's kid?"

"I have looked over his records during and before his time at Beacon. Today's victory only solidifies the boy's strength; did you know he has never visited the infirmary even once? How many young men his age never get so much as a scratch or sore muscle of any kind ESPECIALLY in this line of work?"

"One kid isn't going to win a war Jimmy," Qrow sighed, remembering his days hunting alongside Hattori.

"General…" Winter corrected.

"General Jimmy, whatever."

"No, but extraordinary individuals at the head of an army can. The people of Vale need someone to protect them, someone who will act. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength."

Qrow started to laugh, not out of amusement but because he saw Ironwood's entire speech as utterly ridiculous.

"You…you think she's scared of your little ships?"

"If not, then she would fear the Maiden and her Guardian among them. Ozpin told me often of how the two working as one would spell victory against her."

"Right, the great Ode to the Guardian," Qrow continued mockingly. He was sick of the Fairy Tales but was more than happy to quote it to prove his point. "Alone he can win every battle but only in the darkest hour with his Maiden can he win the war. Don't you think if he was as unbeatable as you seem to think that we would have won by now? I've seen the things she's made and let me tell you…they ARE fear."

"And fear will bring the Grimm," Ozpin stepped in at last, stepping towards his large window. "The Maiden and her Guardian can be a symbol of comfort…but an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds. If THIS is the size of our defenses…what is it we're expecting to fight?"

Ironwood only stared at Ozpin, contemplating his words yet unwilling to divert from his course; approaching the desk he tapped several keys on his scroll, replacing the hologram with that of a detailed diagram. At the top there was a single word.

Titan.

"I have already initiated a program for training Mr. Soplar and Ms. Nikos, Project Titan. It is designed it to maximize their skill and understanding of what we face in the shortest time possible…after that, we gather our full forces and take the fight to her. That is part of the reason I called in Specialist Schnee…she will monitor the lad, test him if need be and do the same thing for Ms. Nikos once she has the power of Autumn." He turned to Ozpin once more. "We must bring them in…sooner rather than later."

"You are part of this?" Qrow turned to Winter, her demeanor softening for a moment at the look he gave her, as if she'd gone behind his back.

"I will ensure they are prepared…the more they train the better chance they have of surviving what is to come."

Ozpin sat again, resting his head in his hands.

Qrow shook his head, it was clear Ironwood had planned this for some time in advance. He wasn't going to listen…he never listened to anyone except Glynda, and even that was becoming a rarity.

 _It backfired Oz, you built up the Guardian too much for Jimmy growing up…he thinks it's the key to the entire war._

"I suppose…it will soon be time we called in our Maiden and Guardian Ms. Goodwitch. Summon them as soon as their doubles matches are concluded."

 **Team CRMS**

"And you're sure?" Cinder asked, pacing back and forth in their dorm room. She had to be certain.

"Bad hair, used a concealed scythe and smelled like my dad after a long day…it was him. The same guy who jumped us before no doubt."

"What do we do?" Emerald asked from her nearby bed.

"Nothing," Cinder replied after a moment. "We stay the course. They have no idea who we are, so we have no reason to worry….right?" She gestured at Emerald.

"I was able to keep him from seeing our faces as soon as I spotted him during the fight," Emerald confirmed. If the old hunter had not interrupted their attack on the Maiden everything else would have been much easier. "As long as we don't wear the same clothes we had back then he should have no idea."

"Excellent, well done," Cinder complimented, eliciting a smile from the green-haired fighter. "Besides, the last of the heavy lifting is being taken care of thanks to our clever little friend." Cinder approached the table, noticing her scroll was blinking with an update.

Retrieving the scroll her smile widened as page after page of data began downloading onto it, more than even she had hoped for.

"Ahh, speaking of which, it appears we have a new access point."

"Anywhere good?" Emerald asked, leaning forward to try and get a good look.

"You…could say that," Cinder sneered as she overlooked the mountains of classified Atlas data pouring into her hands. She would have a busy night shifting through it, busy…but productive. "Best get a good night's sleep…we have a busy couple of days."

Emerald and Mercury slumped into their respective beds, content to follow their leader's orders to the letter.

"Now then," Cinder muttered to herself as she brought up the generator for the doubles matches. Competitors received a day off, however it was never too soon to begin. "Who will we be having fun with next?"

 **Parents and sisters, friends and family, the Vytal Festival Tournament continues to the doubles round…digging our heroes deeper towards the fate that awaits them. As always, Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy! :)**

 **P.S. Did that bug anyone else in the actual episode when Ozpin said there was a sanctioned fight going on to break up Winter and Qrow's crowd…when Oobleck had said the previous episode that Team SSSN's fight was the last of the day? Lol….just me?**


	27. A Final Reprieve

**A day of relaxation...a final reprieve before the Vytal Tournament Doubles Round begins. Our heroes recuperate for the trials ahead. I wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who has reviewed and supported my story. You have no idea how appreciated it is to hear people enjoying my story :). I am planning to push updates out to one every 1-2 weeks in order to give time to write more detailed chapters as well as improve upon past ones.**

"I'm heading out," Cinder reported to the others. As usual Emerald and Mercury were still there, lying low as much as possible until the finals. Neo was likely checking in on Roman; she risked much by heading into Ironwood's troops and back every couple of days. Her loyalty to that small time excuse for a criminal was admirable...yet aggravating.

"Understood," Mercury acknowledged her statement without turning around, he was engrossed in a comic he had borrowed from Horatio. With how many books Team HERO's leader was given by Tukson he was sharing the joy.

"Knock him dead," Emerald replied just before their leader disappeared out the door with a slam.

Mercury glanced over to ensure she was gone before he turned on the bed to face Emerald.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a REALLY bad idea?" His expression laid his thought bare to her, he didn't trust the alterations to their carefully laid plans since arriving at Beacon. He was too cautious...just as his father had taught him. Emerald remained in a reclined position on her bed, had she not just said something Mercury may have thought she was still sleeping.

"Don't see why, it would be nice to have some extra backup around here. Besides, weren't you the one playing matchmaker not long ago?"

"Don't remind me of my brief lapse in sanity," Mercury slid closer. "But do you honestly think Mr. White Knight would ever go along with our plan?"

Emerald was silent for a moment before finally opening her eyes to respond. She owed Cinder everything...no matter how she felt about her shift in tone, she knew better than them. "If anyone can do it…it's Cinder. He has already voiced doubt in the Huntsman Academies…he is even trying to design plans to make Huntsman unnecessary! And of course…"

"He's madly in love with her yea yea," Mercury finished for her, slumping back onto his bed. "Her acting must be better than I ever imagined for him to be so...enamored with her like he is."

 _She's been acting less and less,_ Emerald chuckled in her head, Mercury wouldn't understand. She had been watching the two since Cinder had grown interested in acquiring his power. At the start her looks had been...hungry, possessive, clearly seeing Horatio as little more than an object she wished to control. Yet now? Ever since the two returned from the island and especially since the dance that look had been fading. She would never say it directly to her face...but Cinder was looking more and more like the portrait vision of her every day.

"At the rate things are going...you never know," Emerald responded cryptically. If Cinder didn't want them to know the extent of how she felt then it wasn't their place to question her.

"I'm just saying I've never met someone I'd be willing to completely change myself for."

 _Too bad for you…you might actually care about something if you did…_

 **Beacon Airship Docks…**

Winter stepped off her ship, letting the sea breeze strike her face in the early morning light. It was refreshing, infinitely more so than the previous day and she held her ground a moment longer to breathe it in. Her duties would encompass much of her day…but at the least she could enjoy breakfast with her little sister. She had forgone the knight escort…they would not be needed.

A flutter of wings drew her attention, it was a subtle thing but more than enough for her to notice. Glancing to the right she saw a small black bird with red eyes land on the ledge beside her...a crow if she was not mistaken.

"Hmmm," she said aloud. "I suppose I should always be adding to my repertoire of summons." Her hand fell gently to the handle of her sword.

"Don't even joke about that Ice Queen. Being enthralled to you is not currently my number one choice to spend the rest of my life." Qrow had been the one to reply, the black bird vanishing to be replaced with Ruby's uncle. He pulled himself over the ledge so as to stand beside her.

"Sober yet?" She asked. Winter had hoped her threat several years prior to attack him on sight anytime he stood before her drunk would help break him of the habit…as the previous day had proven that was hardly the case.

Qrow gripped his head as he held out a hand, begging her to speak softer. "Killer migraine…potentially three of you at once…either this is a fantastic dream or a hangover."

"I keep insisting you are better company sober."

"That is a matter of opinion," Qrow let out a chuckle as he sunk his hands deep into the tattered pockets of his pants. Winter found his posture utterly unforgivable as he slouched forward. "So where are you off to so early?"

"If you must know, I am having breakfast with Weiss shortly…and you?"

"Spending time with Yang and Ruby," Qrow smirked back. "If Ozpin insists on stranding me here for the duration of the festival I'll at least make sure I have some fun with the girls."

Winter narrowed her eyes at him, fully aware he had stayed with Ozpin after the rest left to relay additional information. What did he find out to warrant his return?

"Will you talk to the young man as well? You did know his father better than most."

Qrow sighed as if he was hefting a large burden on his back. "I doubt that would be a good idea. I never even met the kid before seeing him at the tournament…best to steer clear until we bring him and the red head in. I suppose yours and Jimmy's little Titan project will require you to size him up."

"I will…observe him for now," she answered truthfully. They were both on the same side and she saw no reason to lie. "Once I am done speaking with my sister."

"Well have fun with that," Qrow started marching past her towards the dormitories. "She's on the move…I have a feeling our respective huntresses in training won't have long until they are pulled in."

"If…that is to be," Winter replied with utter conviction. "I will ensure Weiss is as prepared as possible."

"And I'll do the same for my nieces…I'll make sure they are ready for anything…"

 **Beacon Gymnasium…**

"Keeping moving Nora!" Ren called out as he went swinging at his childhood friend. She leapt to evade him, across the mat Jaune was sparring with Pyrrha as well…preparing for the next round of matches the following day.

Pyrrha expertly blocked Jaune's swing, bringing her spear up to slash him only to be met with his blade, parrying her to the side. During training she refused to use her semblance on Jaune…he would improve facing her martial skills alone. Once he could match that she would start taking the fights seriously.

"Your improvement is spectacular," she complimented, bounding towards him and bringing a kick up towards his head.

"It's all thanks to you," he replied, ducking just under her leg, parrying her follow-up spear thrust and rolling under her shield slam. "After this year you'll have a Vytal Festival win under your belt."

"We haven't won yet," she chuckled. "Become too overconfident and it can be our undoing." With a strong grunt she hurtled her shield towards him like a discus. Jaune parried it with his own…only to leave himself wide open as Pyrrha had followed close behind it. With a kick she parried his sword swing, wrapping the same leg around Jaune's waist she threw him to the ground, straddling his chest and pinning him to the floor.

"I give…I…I give," he panted, exhausted from the match and unable to move under her expert hold.

Pyrrha leaned in, planting a soft peck on his cheek before getting to her feet, pulling him up with her. "A reward for all your hard work."

Jaune blushed red; he didn't deserve to be this happy…who possibly could?

"I was thinking," Jaune started shyly. "After the doubles round…perhaps we could take some time off…just the two of us at the festival. Some of the rides look really fun…"

"That sounds lovely," Pyrrha took his hand. She was fully aware that many attractions start packing up after the finals conclude. The days before would be the best chance they have to enjoy them. The two leaned closer, their eyes never parting…

"Say uncle!" Nora shouted, breaking their concentration. She had finally subdued Ren in their sparring and was currently in the process of twisting his legs into an uncomfortable position. Ren was vigorously tapping out; however the pink instrument of destruction seemed unaware of his actions.

"Let's hope nothing ever changes," Jaune laughed with Pyrrha, the two enjoying the situation far more than they should have at their teammates expense.

 **Team RWBY Dormitory…**

"You're going down old man!" Ruby proclaimed with complete certainty.

"You're nothing but talk kid!"

"You can do it Ruby!" Yang backed up her sister cheerily.

Anticlimactically, Ruby's avatar on the screen in front of them was immediately decapitated by her uncle's. She could only stare as her valiant soldier was cut down in the line of duty.

 _Soaring Ninja Wins! Total Annihilation!_ The video game narrator proclaimed, Ruby had never been fond of the new voice for the announcer of Kung-Fu Ninja Slayer Ultimate Death Battle II…the first one had been way better.

"Ouch," Yang winced at the merciless slaughter of her little sister.

"By the way…don't EVER call me old," Qrow smiled at his Niece's look of utter defeat.

"My turn!" Yang slid in, pushing Ruby out of the way and taking her place almost seamlessly.

 _New Challenger Approaches!_ The game announced, replacing Ruby's red avatar with a yellow one.

Qrow focused as Yang took the field; in this particular arena she was vastly superior to her sister. Ruby watched in awe as Yang fought their Uncle tooth and nail.

"You've gotten better," he complimented, his avatar barely blocking a poison blow.

"All natural skill…haven't met anyone who could touch me yet."

"So…how is that Roland kid at one of these? Will he be joining us today?" Qrow asked, subtly glancing over to Yang out of the corner of his eye.

"Nah, he's showing his folks around the campus," Yang was focused and did not realize Qrow's intentions. _I may or may not have planned it so he doesn't run into you..._ "He claims to be good, but he has yet to beat me once at this game. His specialty seems to be shooters."

"Strange," Qrow mused. "Maybe he's letting you win."

"He'd never try it again, he knows better."

"Yea I suppose," Qrow readied himself. "Most guys would try to know their girlfriends well enough at that sort of thing."

 _Soaring Ninja Wins! Total Annihilation!_

Yang had dropped her controller at his words, allowing Qrow's avatar to finish her off in a single move. Her head twisted towards her uncle in short bursts as if her neck were situated on a clockface. She looked absolutely horrified.

"How did you….!?"

"I go on dangerous missions every day and collect intelligence vital to the existence of the world as we know it…did you really think I wouldn't notice one of my nieces getting her first boyfriend?"

"Wh…what did dad say?" Qrow looked upward as if trying to recall an especially detailed conversation, Yang was practically shaking.

"Wouldn't know…didn't tell him yet," he smiled back at her smugly. Yang released a gasp of pent up air, Ruby was pretty sure she hadn't taken a breath since Qrow said the "G" word. "Any reason you haven't deemed to tell me and Tai about him?"

"Not many girls would go running to their dad and uncle when they meet a boy you know," Yang rationalized, her cheeks beat red.

"True enough," Qrow admitted. "But you may want to think about letting your old man know. The more serious this gets the more he'll be hurt the longer you take to tell him."

"We…don't know how serious it is," Yang glanced down at the floor. "We're just…having fun, we like spending time together, does that need to change? Please don't do anything to him! His parents are really nice…though his sisters are still looking for a nefarious scheme in my dating him!"

"Parents and sisters?" Qrow asked, breaking into a mischievous grin. "It must be more serious than I thought…already introducing you to his family. Maybe I should bring in Tai after all…"

Qrow barely managed to raise a hand in time to catch Ruby's surprisingly heavy dog pillow hurtled at him by her angry older sister.

"You are…the WORST!" She exclaimed, currently in a middle state between anger, embarrassment…and holding in laughter at her uncle's words.

"Now," Qrow chuckled, returning to the game. "Where was I?"

"Oh!" Ruby jumped up. "You were telling us about your last mission!"

"Right…right," he smiled, trying to think of a good story…it wasn't like he could actually tell them the mission he had just come from. "So…I come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral…"

 **Emerald Forest Edge…**

Horatio swung at Cinder who easily sidestepped him, burying her knee directly in his gut. Horatio doubled over coughing, she had convinced him to train without his aura...that he would learn faster if he had something to worry about. It was the latest in a long line of failed attacks. Cinder had proved her point well…she could read him like a book. They had been at it for hours and he had not managed to lay a finger on her.

"Now…why did you miss?"

"Beeecause I got lost in your eyes?"

Cinder punched him in the gut again...though her swing was noticeably more lax.

"I...looked at your arm because of the flexing which was clearly a feint?" He tried again as the pain in his stomach subsided.

"Incorrect," Cinder threw a high kick he narrowly avoided. "Your mistake was ONLY focusing on my flexing arm. If you hadn't then I would not have made it a feint. The point is you must watch ALL of your opponent and determine which they will choose to follow through with."

"And how do I tell?" He asked, his frustration starting to show.

"By trusting nothing and making the decision…for them," she smiled. In a flash she was upon him, a punch aimed at his torso once more.

Horatio raised his hand to catch her blow, he succeeded…but the force felt far too weak for what he had come to know of Cinder. In that instant she leapt into the air, a powerful kick aimed at his now unprotected head...she stopped a hairs breadth before she would have put her foot through his skull. Horatio had no idea how much Cinder had to pull the kick to resist her killer instinct to follow through.

"Get it now?" She asked as she landed, he wouldn't learn if she told him everything.

Horatio nodded at last. "Misdirection…create a real but potentially expendable attack to draw a desired action…and take advantage of the resulting openings?"

"Excellent," she congratulated. "And if they do not notice or ignore your initial strike…follow through and make them regret it. You don't need to see the future if you are the one creating it."

"I…suppose," Horatio started, eliciting a minor scowl from Cinder as he questioned her tutelage. "It's just…the idea of trusting nothing seems so…heartless, do you live by that?"

Cinder contemplated the extent of her honesty she should bare to him before answering.

"Yes." It was a simple answer, Cinder felt at ease as she spoke the truth as far as she could...risky though it may be.

Horatio stepped up to her, his face suddenly solemn and frowning, he looked as if someone had just punched him in the gut...again.

"I…am so sorry for whoever you met before now to cause you to think that way." He took her hand in his own. "If no one else, please believe that…you CAN trust me. You don't have to be so...alone."

Cinder's hand reciprocated the squeeze for a moment before she let go, spinning towards the forest so he could not see her face contort as she held back her words.

 _No turning back now…_

"As I was…saying." She turned back towards him, changing the subject. "Your semblance allows for a unique situation…you can ignore most direct attacks, so you can create truly believable feints to draw in your foes where you want them to be...and finish them. You already deceive your opponents to an extent…you need only take the next step."

Horatio smiled awkwardly at her words. "I…I haven't unlocked my semb…" He started to say reflexively, eliciting an intense glare from Cinder. Had he completed his sentence he would have invalidated his previous pronouncement to her. Feeling ashamed he lowered his head, it was just like when he'd been called to Professor Ozpin's office so long ago. "How…did you know?"

"I told you I am no fragile maiden," Cinder smiled. "You'd be surprised what I am capable of when…properly motivated. It is…an incredible ability, didn't you trust me?"

"No…it…it wasn't that," Horatio stumbled over his words, her eyes were almost as inescapable as Olivia's. "I…I haven't told anyone. I-it's a f-family tradition…we don't tell anyone except…."

"Except…who?" Cinder asked, despite her full knowledge of the answer.

"The wo….my wi…the…someone very important…to me," he couldn't say it, not right to her face like this.

"In that case," she stepped closer so there was no room between them. "I don't see a problem…do you?"

 _Mom always said to ensure NO ONE found out how it works…only the woman I cared for and had absolute certainty she is the one I would want to spend the rest of my life with…that I would get that feeling and know that it is her…_

Horatio's look of apprehensive fear fell away to be replaced by a serene smile, everything just seemed to be falling into place so perfectly. Even Professor Ozpin had not realized the secret to his semblance...yet she had...this beautiful, captivating woman whom he had fallen for at first sight.

"No," he smiled with a slight head shake. "I suppose I don't."

 **Schnee Villa Pavilion…**

"You'll be staying for the tournament?" Weiss asked, unable to contain her excitement at her sister's news.

"That is correct," Winter confirmed as she took a sip of tea. The two of them were alone in a beautiful garden pavilion. It was a little get away of the Schnee family though seldom used. Winter couldn't remember the last time she had been in Vale long enough to utilize it. "Originally I was merely here to oversee the transport of additional Paladin units to Vale. We lost our last shipment in an ambush…from what I heard the wreckage of the cargo was discovered in downtown Vale not too long ago."

Weiss merely nodded as she took a nonchalant sip from her own cup, praying her sister did not connect the dots that she had been present for the Paladin's…disassembly.

"My duties since then have…expanded."

"Classified?"

"Classified," Winter smiled, Weiss was learning.

"It will be wonderful to have you here when you can!" Weiss replied, her face still shining. "I can show you how I've done at Beacon!"

Winter reached over, laying her hand over Weiss'.

"You don't have to, I know you've done…well…out here on your own. You should be proud." Weiss smiled awkwardly as Winter held her hand, she was not used to her being so…positive. "I'll be honest," Winter chuckled somewhat as she leaned back in her seat. "It was quite amusing seeing father's face the day you left for Beacon."

"I can't wait to show him all I've learned," she announced, crossing her arms proudly.

"Oh? And what do you think you've learned?

"What do you mean?" Weiss didn't understand how Winter couldn't see her growth after her previous statement. "I'm getting better and better with my glyphs…I've even started time dilation!" An image of Bolin and Nadir knocking into each other again and again played out in her head as to how she could improve for next time.

"And what about your summoning?" Winter's tone grew serious as she stared into her sister's eyes.

"I…" Weiss looked away ashamed. "You know I can't…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Winter assured her. "Every Schnee has the ability to summon, we have for generations."

"I've tried! It's just…just the ONE thing I'm having trouble with!" Weiss was beside herself, she knew full well that her semblance was hereditary…a trait unique to the Schnee family. Winter could do it…Mother and Nana could do it…

"Your semblance is like a muscle," Winter continued, educating her little sister as she formed a glyph in her hand. Weiss stared at it amazed; it was so small yet far more complex than any she had ever made. "The more you practice with it, the stronger it will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it…if you fail to test the limits of what you THINK is possible…"

Weiss shielded her eyes as the glyph expanded and released a burst of light. Blinking away the spots in her vision she beheld a massive Alpha Beowolf now standing next to her sister. This was no normal Grimm as its normal black and red color scheme had been replaced with white and blue…a sign it was a summoned being.

"Then you'll never truly grow," Winter finished, petting the underside of her Alpha's chin as if it were a pet. "And I know you can grow Weiss…if I recall Ms. Rose was not the only one you mentioned in your letters. Did you not give credit to a Mister…Soplar for some kind words?"

Weiss blushed, almost having totally forgotten the discussion about team leader's after their first class with Professor Port…it felt so long ago.

"He may have…given me a push…a small one."

Winter chuckled at her sister's words; Weiss did not see her frown somewhat.

 _I'm sorry Weiss, I must know more of this young man…General's orders._

"And what is your…opinion of this man?"

"Um…" Weiss wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. "I haven't spoken to him that often outside of classes and study sessions. Sometimes he would stop by when his teammate Roland came around the room to see Yang." She felt awkward talking about him like this. "His team fought well when Vale was attacked, he's near the top of the class like me. Um…he's an amazing artist…"

 _She misunderstands again._

"And what kind of man is he?"

"He's…nice, I guess," again, Weiss stumbled over how to describe him. "Almost too nice, he seems to like helping out any chance he gets…I've never heard him say something negative about anyone…its almost eerie. Why do you ask?"

"As with your living quarters…I like to ensure your friends are up to my personal standards as well," she replied with a sip of tea. It was the truth to a point…as far as Weiss would need to know. "But for now…I would very much like to get in some practice summoning with my little sister."

 _Further reconnaissance will be required._

 **Team RWBY Dormitory…**

"Yea," Ruby smiled at Qrow's assertion that he was a real Huntsman. "I get that, we're pretty much pros too."

"Oh really?" Qrow asked without taking his eyes off the screen. He was currently in the third of a best out of five round with Yang.

"Psshh, yea," Yang agreed. "Read the news sometime. We all totally saved Vale while you were gone."

"Funny…because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you ALMOST managed to stop a train."

 _Soaring Ninja Wins! Total Annihilation!_

Yang dropped her controller in frustration, he had won again.

"But they don't give out medals for…almost."

"They do…and they're called silver!" Ruby called out, her optimism and cheerful demeanor unfazed by her uncle's words.

"Well…we helped research that Merlot guy a few months back," Yang continued.

"Heard he went down when the island sank, did you ever even meet him?" Qrow shot her down again.

Yang started scowling at her uncle. "AND we took down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime has been down ever since. That's basically a bounty mission."

 _They just aren't getting it._

"Sure, you may be acting like Huntresses," Qrow leaned back, growing more serious. "But you're not THINKING like one. Do you really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in a kingdom?"

"I mean," Ruby started, twiddling her fingers awkwardly. "I did until you said that…"

"Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed…it's stopped…completely!"

 _How is that not suspicious to them?_ Qrow sighed, they were still little girls after all.

"No White Fang activity anywhere around the city." He continued. "You cut off the head of a King Taijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his...if Torchwick ever was one of the heads..."

"You…know the General?" Yang asked. Ruby was equally perplexed. They knew their uncle got around…but to someone as high up as Ironwood?

"Hey, I know everybody to some extent. You think I never met the person responsible for training Zwei too?"

Yang paled again. "You knew Mrs. Mane?"

"Of course, she's famous in Vale...if you two had grown up outside of Patch you'd probably have known her too. We needed the best of the best, remember you are talking to a member of the coolest team ever to graduate Beacon," Qrow chuckled; reaching into his pocket he produced an old worn photograph. "Team STRQ."

The picture was of two Huntsmen and Huntresses, the far left was a young woman nearly the spitting image of Ruby, her mother Summer and their father's second love. The only noticeable difference seemed to be her somewhat longer hair and pure white hooded cloak in place of a red one, her silver eyes shined with her smile.

Beside her stood Yang and Ruby's father Taiyang with his arms crossed smirking at the camera. He had blonde curly hair like Yang, she smiled upon realizing he wore the same cargo pants, yellow vest and shoulder armor he did last she saw him…his wardrobe diversity could use some work.

Facing Taiyang beside him was Raven…Yang's mother and his first love. Her hair was almost identical to her daughter's save the black coloration. Qrow's finger holding the picture happened to block her face…Yang was certain that was no coincidence. She scanned the photo as fast as she could while he had it held out…there was no mistaking the armor she had on…or the sword she wore at her hip. They were identical to the woman who had saved her on the train…and who Roland had described saving his life in Forever Fall…

The final huntsman on the right was none other than Qrow himself, despite the photo being taken years prior he looked almost no different save his hair being free of any grey.

"I met her shortly after your parents," Qrow had continued as Yang analyzed the photo. "She was more than happy to train little Zwei for us, we were all PRETTY well known back in the day."

"Well known for crummy fashion sense," Ruby giggled, clearly noticing the distinct lack of change over the years Yang had.

"Hey! We looked good," Qrow retorted, sounding hurt she would ever suggest such a thing. And I have a number of inappropriate stories that'll back that up." He grinned from ear to ear, though his gaze narrowed as he realized Yang had not looked away from the photo since he'd produced it. "But!" he removed the picture, storing it back in his pocket. "I'll save those for when you're older and Tai wont kill me."

"Ew, gross gross," Ruby squirmed on the bed, sticking out her tongue and acting as if she was about to be sick.

"I think I need to wash my mouth out after that," Yang laughed dryly. "Got anymore People Like Grapes Soda Ruby?"

"Oh! Ezzy has some, be right back!" Ruby sped out into the hall towards Team HERO's room, the door sliding shut behind her.

As soon as Ruby was out of earshot Yang turned towards Qrow with a sigh.

"I saw her...mom," she muttered. Surprisingly Qrow barely flinched as if it was no surprise. "Back on the train...Torchwick's sidekick...she was better than me...by a lot. She hit me hard and when I came to...I saw her." Qrow was silent the entire exchange though his smirk had turned somber. "I wouldn't have believed it but...her armor and sword are the same as that photo...and Roland saw her too."

This time Qrow's eyes widened, it was possible to surprise him after all. "Raven appeared to him?"

"Well, not then...before. He got hurt badly by one of Dr. Merlot's mutated Grimm and almost died in Forever Fall. He was saved by a woman in red and black...he described mom perfectly."

"Well, that IS unlike my sister, I had no idea her code extended to boyfriends."

"Her code?"

"Long story...suffice it to say my dear sister has an outlook on the world I do not share. Let me guess, she never said a word?"

"Not to me, but Roland said she spoke to him...threatened that if he did anything to hurt me she'd be back for him."

Qrow let out a hearty laugh, gripping his side and leaning against the bunk beds to keep balance. It was the first in a long time Yang could remember him looking so genuinely upbeat. "THAT sounds more like Raven, love mixed with the fear of your family...you got a keeper there Yang."

"Uncle Qrow!" She shouted, her cheeks flushing red again.

"What's so funny?" Ruby asked from the doorway. She had returned with a handful of purple soda cans, Qrow walked up and snatched a pair, tossing the second to Yang. She caught it along with his glance while Ruby couldn't see his face...his message was obvious.

 _We can talk more later._

"Just giving an uncle's advice to your big sister. I keep telling her if Roland likes the bad jokes as much as he seems to...Tai will probably be the one to ask him to propose first."

"UNCLE QROW!" Yang shouted as Ruby started to laugh alongside her uncle...the two were so similar it was eerie.

 **In the Emerald Forest…**

Block after block Cinder held, Horatio used every technique he could think of but she always kept one step ahead of him. Without his aura he had to rely on his own strength without assistance. Even holding techniques did not seem to work as she snaked her way out of each one before delivering a savage counterattack.

 _Focus...on everything._

Horatio's focus was split to his limit, was the flex of her arm simply for movement or a wind up? When she pivots on her back foot does it have enough force behind it for her to attempt a spinning kick? If she leapt to avoid a leg sweep would he have enough time to catch her mid-jump? Could her hair look any more beautiful whipping around in the air as she twisted to avoid his strike?

Cinder spun in place, planting a kick squarely in his chest. "Again," she repeated sternly as if she'd heard his thoughts and sought to punish him for them.

Horatio recovered and planted his feet, bringing his hands together he delivered the open-palmed strike he had become proficient at, aiming straight for her core. Without his aura he could not overpower her and she knew it...she elected to hold her ground, arms crossed to await his swing.

 _NOW!_

Horatio's blow impacted her defense, Cinder's eyes widening as the lack of force behind the attack spelled out his next move. Sliding his back leg he picked it up into a high kick, twisting his body to bury his foot in Cinder's cheek now that her arms were occupied. He followed through, the wind from his leg buffeting her as he missed by the smallest margin...yet a small scuff mark appeared on her cheek, he had connected.

"Yes!" Horatio shouted jubilantly at his first contact...only for Cinder to seize his foot still in mid-air and with a flick of her hand send him tumbling head over heels to the ground. He elected to remain there rather than getting back up.

"I suppose we may call it a day," she relented, almost feeling bad for his beaten prostrate form. He was certainly improving, given time he would be perfect...worthy to stand by her side.

"Thanks," Horatio rolled into a sitting position and stretched as his aura reconstituted itself. "There should enough time in the day to complete a few more portraits. My patrons have not been pleased at my team's inclusion in the tournament...keeps my stall closed too long," he added with a chuckle.

"If only there was no need for Huntsman," Cinder retorted half-mockingly as she packed up her supplies. "You could open your own gallery…"

Her words drew him back to their brief conversation in the ruins of Forever Fall. "You…truly don't think we can make a difference against the Grimm do you?"

The look on Cinder's face said it all, her following words were almost unnecessary. "Eighty years with no improvement, four kingdoms across our entire world…the rest belong to them. Based on that record…what do you think?"

"We can…protect the people, villagers…friends, family…loved ones. Just because we cannot protect the whole world doesn't make us useless." _Does it?_ He remembered Pyrrha's lofty goal of saving the world. Compared to hers his seemed so…humble...insignificant?...he wasn't sure anymore what to call it. Cinder just stared at him, her face surprisingly flat and uncaring. He was making excuses…and she knew it.

"There are always alternatives," he assured her with complete confidence after it was obvious she wouldn't reply. "I'll be submitting my proposal to the general…perhaps something will come of it."

"We can only hope," she stepped closer, her eyes glancing behind him for a fraction of a second. Horatio was about to ask if she was ok. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Cinder gripped the back of his head, planting an unexpected and vigorous kiss on his lips. Horatio barely had time to think before it was suddenly over; she backed away from him with a wink.

 _I hope our uninvited guest will have enjoyed the show...surely they were taught how rude it is to stare at..._

As Cinder attempted to back away Horatio's arms encompassed her, squeezing tight, it was her turn to be surprised. He didn't say a word...being completely content just to stand there cherishing their time together. Cinder did not object to his desire, reciprocating the embrace. Even she did not count how long they stood there...but alas they could not maintain the moment forever...

Cinder's smile lingered as they parted and she turned to leave at length, her ominous voice from before returning. "Remember what I taught you…keep to your family tradition, use your power…and no one will be able to challenge you."

She walked off with a wave, leaving Horatio standing there questioning many things. He had never before met someone who could make him feel so powerful one minute…and so helpless the next.

 **Behind the trees nearby…**

Winter Schnee remained crouched, certain that they couldn't have possibly seen her. She learned of Horatio's location after concluding breakfast with Weiss. Regrettably her sister had been unable to summon once again…but it was only a matter of time and practice.

Winter had been watching them from the brush; the Fall girl was incredibly skilled. She wondered why she had not decided to continue in the tournament unless her teammates were equally impressive.

It was evident they were practicing…no doubt for the doubles round the following day, though Winter had never heard of competing teams trying to help one another mid-tournament. She had thought for a moment that Ms. Fall had spotted her, thankfully it seemed this had not been the case as she had been going in to kiss Horatio.

 _The young these days,_ she shook her head. She had not learned anything new to the young man's abilities other than they were indeed tied to his aura...without it he took injury like any other. As she watched Mr. Soplar pack his things a disturbing thought entered her mind. _If he is so close to this Ms. Fall…how will he feel when given the news that he must leave everything behind?_

Winter almost jumped as a small black bird landed on her shoulder once Horatio had departed, the same she had spotted that very morning. She sighed upon realizing who it was, stroking his feathery wings gently.

"Well...at least you're sober this time."

 **Ironwood's Airship...**

"Grimm activity has risen somewhat," Glynda reported as she sat in the general's ready room aboard the Galinda. The ship was currently docked and she had arrived to go over the security report in preparation for the finals. "Though that is to be expected as the finals draw closer. Nothing that has gone beyond previous years."

"Excellent," Ironwood smiled, pouring her a refill of tea. "Emotions always run a little hot in such events, our standard military forces are more than sufficient to keep them contained at the borders. Unfortunately Mr. Torchwick has been expectedly unforthcoming with any additional information. If that should change I will let you and Oz know immediately."

Glynda nodded professionally as she took another sip, the two were trying to avoid the elephant in the room after the revelations with Qrow's return. For now they would stick to their...public duties and the rest could be confronted later.

"I see you...took it down," Glynda muttered under her breath, glancing at a spot on the wall. The outline had faded but a large portrait obviously had once hung there now left void.

"Well...after our last...altercation, our parting seemed like it may be permanent. It seemed inappropriate to keep it showing at the time." Ironwood swirled his drink, smiling sheepishly.

"Doesn't EVERY time seem like it would be permanent?" Glynda chuckled as she leaned back in her chair. They did not have anything further to discuss for business, leaving some leeway to relax.

"Precisely," Ironwood's smile widened as if he'd hoped she would mention it. "Which is why I had this installed." With the press of a concealed button beneath his desk the wall opened, a painting sliding out to cover the spot as it once had years before. "This way I can bring it out and put it away depending on how the winds of fate blow."

 _He WOULD do something like that..._

Glynda's face brightened at seeing it again. The image painted masterfully upon the canvas was of a younger Ironwood...his hair still jet black and his face free of wrinkles. He wore an Atlas Academy student uniform minus the gloves and was smiling with more joy than she had seen him have in years. Embraced in his arms was a blonde woman Glynda barely recognized wearing a Beacon Academy uniform. She smiled at the memories, those had been blessed years together before the world had gotten a whole lot bigger.

"I...hope its ok that I kept it..." Ironwood started, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I just couldn't..."

Glynda smiled at his hesitation over having decided to keep the portrait so long even after all that had happened between them. She nodded, "Magnolia really was incredible at that...the apple did not fall far from the tree. I can't believe I didn't see the similar styles before now."

"I have seen his work, once this is all over he will have a bright future as an artist should he wish to no longer continue as a Huntsman."

"Why do you say that?" Glynda asked confused.

"I got a report on my desk this morning," he smiled. He explained to her how Horatio had proposed using Dr. Merlot's bait to lure Grimm en masse into isolated containment zones with Menagerie being an offered primary area after the Faunus were evacuated to settlements on the Mainland of Anima. "It seems to me," he concluded. "He is hoping to change the world and make our work unnecessary."

"What will you do about it?"

"File it for now," Ironwood dismissed. "That bait is FAR too dangerous to attempt to use in any quantity. Based on my men's analysis a single barrel would be enough to draw in Grimm for miles around. Any mishap could lead to another Mountain Glenn to say nothing of the political nightmare of trying to move the entire population of Menagerie...It may not be the home the Faunus were after...but its the only one many have known over the last 80 years. Penny seems to think it may be viable depending on locating a suitable containment zone."

Glynda's ears perked up at mention of the Polendina girl, having noticed Ironwood's overly protective and...father-like treatment of the young girl. She remembered Penny being among the names they considered back when they were...

"Still...an idea to contemplate for the future," Glynda laid the empty cup on Ironwood's desk. "It is getting late James, I will need to make the rounds. Thank you...for the tea...and the conversation."

"O-of course," Ironwood hesitantly removed his hands from his pocket to shake hers goodbye, their hands lingering together longer than necessary.

With a graceful turn Glynda left his office as the door closed behind her with a whoosh of air. The general's hands returned to his pockets...tightly squeezing a small box he had hidden within.

"Coward," he whispered to himself as he slumped back into his chair...gazing up at the portrait made for them so long ago.

 **Vytal Fairgrounds Sundown…**

"I hope you find a good place for it!" Horatio called out as Arslan waved goodbye. He had just finished her work as the sun started to set.

Arslan had showed up shortly after he'd returned to his stall from training with Cinder. She had posed in a combat stance in the process of beginning a high kick with her right fist raised as if to strike while her left was prepared to block an incoming blow. Horatio enjoyed doing pieces where his subject incorporates a part of their lifestyle into it. He was more surprised she could hold the pose long enough for him to finish, by the end she did not even appear winded. He was preparing to pack up for the night when a cute cough alerted him to someone behind him.

"Got time for…one more?"

"Ruby!" Horatio dropped his supplies back in their place. "Of course, I always have time for you." He was honestly surprised he had not seen her before that day, she must have been busy. With a gesture he motioned for her to take her place in front of his easel and select a backdrop.

Ruby perused the options before settling on a snow-covered forest at night, the shattered moon looming in the background. Spinning around she drew Crescent Rose to its full size, posing it behind her with the head just the slightest bit off the ground.

"Sorry I stopped by so late," she started as Horatio got to work. "I sort of lost track of time with my uncle."

"No problem at all," Horatio replied. "I wasn't very tired, got lost training with Cinder myself. What's your uncle like?"

"He's like…the coolest uncle EVER!" She gushed while trying to hold still. "He was the one who taught me how to fight and always had the BEST stories."

"Was he a tall fellow with a red cape, fan of alcohol and a huge sword?"

"How did you…?"

"Olivia told me about yesterday."

Ruby let an "aahhh," escape her mouth as she understood. "How was Cinder?" She asked at length, trying to pass the time while she was unable to move.

"She was…good," he hesitated before continuing, not wanting to bring down Ruby's optimism with Cinder's pessimism towards Huntsman and Huntresses. "I'm going to miss her when she has to go back to Haven."

"You can always stay in touch via scroll!" Ruby tried to cheer him up as she always did. "You'll just have to visit the CCT Tower more often."

"I've been doing research too," he admitted. "There are some study abroad programs I can apply for…a few allow time at Haven Academy."

"That's fantastic! We'll miss you here."

Horatio chuckled, "I haven't applied to any of them yet."

"It's a preemptive miss you," she giggled.

The strokes of his pencil stopped briefly as Horatio leaned over his easel at the red-hooded girl standing before him.

"Never lose that spark," he whispered under his breath.

The two laughed and joked back and forth right up till curfew, leaving just enough time for a mad dash back to their rooms before Ms. Goodwitch caught them. Horatio knew twice in one year with two different girls would be misunderstood and looked upon poorly by the intimidating teacher. He didn't quite finish her portrait, but it would not take much longer.

Sneaking into Team HERO's dormitory Horatio quietly closed the door and climbed into bed, the heavy breathing inside alerting him that everyone else was already fast asleep. It took him much longer than usual to follow suit...the discussions of the day still swirling in his mind.

 **The last day reprieve before the Doubles Round has come to an end...competitions to reignite again upon the morn. Little do our heroes know that the battle of competition will pale in comparison to the true conflict brewing around them...As always, Read and Review...but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	28. Doubles Round Troubles

**A BIG shout out to everyone reading and reviewing my story. Your words and critique are greatly appreciated for future improvement. I know I say this a lot but it means so much to see you all enjoying my story :). I wish everyone all the best as we follow the journey of Team HERO and their friends onward through the world of RWBY...**

 **The doubles round has begun…those who place the defense of the world above all else move to enact their long awaited plans…as do those they fight against…**

Penny jumped for joy as the final opponent was sent flying out of the arena. The young man looked on in shock that a girl as small as her had sent him flying, sending his black hood fluttering away in the breeze. Clearly he was under the impression that his golden arm would be sufficient to defend against her attack…he was mistaken. Across the field his teammate slumped to the ground courtesy of a high drop kick from Ciel…his aura well into the red.

The two girls made their way out of the arena as the next fight was organized. Penny skipped merrily the entire way while Ciel walked tall and straight as a board, her military upbringing painfully obvious. She was disappointed in how little resistance there had been in their matches...was the competition just light this year?

"Pen-" Ruby started to shout, nearly running into someone else running from the opposite direction equally eager to greet them.

"Oh h-hi Ruby," Cameron stuttered, narrowly avoiding crashing into her around the corner. "How's it going?"

"Oh you know…same old same old," she smiled before spotting their orange-headed friend approaching. "Penny!"

"Cam! Ruby!" Penny called out joyously, rushing towards them with a smile on her face…rushing towards them…too fast.

Penny slammed into them, wrapping an arm around each and impacting with such force that all three slammed into the ground. Penny did not seem to notice their faces contorting in pain.

"Why…?" Ruby whispered hoarsely.

"Missed…you…too," Cameron groaned, certain his spine was about to break under the strain.

"Ruby! Cam!" Penny suddenly jumped to her feet and pointed towards the girl she had been accompanying. "This is my teammate…"

"Ciel Soleil," the girl introduced herself, bowing slightly. She had darker skin and bright blue eyes. Her dark black hair seemed to have a shade of blue also worked into it matching the beret on her head. She wore what looked like a student's uniform though a more casual variation as the sleeves were cut short with a custom blue skirt. She had elbow-length fingerless black gloves; Cameron could not help but notice the symbol on her forehead of a small sun standing out amongst the blue.

"Hi there," the red-hooded huntress started. "I'm Ru…"

"Ruby Rose, 15, hails from Patch," Ciel started as if she was reading from a file. "Leader of Team RWBY, above average intermediate skills in range and scythe combat, status…questionable."

Her head immediately snapped in Cameron's direction as he started opening his mouth to speak.

"Cameron Hunter, call sign Bolt, 18. Hailed initially from Atlas but was relocated to Vale's Capital at the age of 10. A member of Team KRCT (Cricket) focusing on aerial piloting and accompanying skills in combat situations. Currently engaged in early stage courtship rituals with Penny Polendina by her own admission, overall motives…questionable."

Ruby and Cameron just stared flatly at her as she concluded, neither quite certain how to proceed from such robotic yet accurate descriptions of them. The two immediately gave up and started talking simultaneously, both excited for Penny's victory and not wanting to wait a moment.

"You two were incredible out there!" Ruby gushed. "How do you control all those swords?"

"You aren't hurt are you?" Cameron looked her up and down and taking her hand. "How did your aura withstand a rock that size at point blank range?" Her touch was cold, no matter what he did Cameron could never seem to warm them up.

"Your concern is appreciated," she smiled as innocent and sweetly as ever. "But unnecess..."

"Penny," Ciel interrupted, clearly noticing that neither conversation would end in a timely fashion. "I believe it is best that we move on, the General will be waiting and you must prepare for the finals."

"Could we have a minute to talk?" She asked before turning to Cameron. "I need to speak with Ruby alone if that is acceptable."

"O-of course," Cameron replied with a smile. "I'll be right over here." The young man stepped to the side an appropriate distance alongside Ciel. "Sooooo," he started, finding the empty silence awkward as the girl stared intently at her watch. "Have you known Penny long?"

"Nine months and three days," she answered without lifting her eyes from the watch. "We were assigned to the same team back in Atlas."

"Ah," Cameron replied as the silence returned. "You must be proud; your team is the first guaranteed finalist!"

"It is a testament to our training." She replied flatly.

"Ah…gotcha," he could not have felt more awkward…but he had to try. "If you've known her so long…maybe you could tell me something Penny might enjoy?"

For the first time Ciel looked away from her watch, clearly perplexed by his question. "Elaborate."

"Well…I wanted to get her a present," he admitted finally. "I can't just ask her what she wants or that'll give it away…as a member of her team I was hoping…you might know."

Ciel rested her chin on a hand; she had not considered growing close enough to Penny to learn her interests. It was becoming obvious her knowledge in this field was lacking…she did not like the feeling.

"I have only observed," Ciel grasped at what she knew. "Ms. Polendina prefers to collect colorful accessories…bows specifically." With a glance she motioned to the pink bow atop Penny's head. "She also enjoys upbeat music…they are preferences unique to her among our team."

Cameron nodded as he looked over the bow, though his eyes did not linger long as they drifted to Penny's face. Ruby must have told her something funny as she was smiling and laughing, he felt his heart beat a little faster.

"Bows and music…gotcha…"

"Excuse me," Ciel stepped up to the laughing girls, ever serious once more. "It has been precisely one minute ma'am."

"I'll talk with you both later!" Penny called out, giving Cameron a quick but spine-snapping hug before walking off with Ciel.

"She's the best isn't she," Cameron sighed as he cracked his back. "The greatest girl in the world."

"She sure is," Ruby agreed. Despite her cheerful exterior she worried for him. He had no idea what Penny was, she had told Ruby the general wanted no one else to know. Would he care as little as she did…and how would he react if he found out?

"Maybe General Ironwood will be in need of some transfer pilots in Atlas," Cameron was already thinking of the future, as far as he was concerned the Vytal Festival couldn't be long enough.

 **Amity Coliseum…**

Pyrrha and Nora were standing across from their opponents…the last team from Vacuo remaining in the tournament. The biomes for the match had already been selected. A barren desert stretched across Team JNPR's half of the field while a line of mountains loomed behind their opponents.

Team ALMD (Almond) led by Durian Aramys, the young man wore a white suit shirt under a brown leather sleeveless vest. A single gold armor guard protected his right shoulder. His brown hair was pulled up into a single ponytail beneath his wide brimmed hat capped off with a single green feather. A lone rapier was present at his hip similar to Weiss'; his was a noticeably dark bronze coloration with an odd tube design wrapped around the lower portion of the blade and a wide guard encircling his hand completely.

He had chosen his teammate Morrigan Azura to join him in the doubles round. She was a tall Faunus girl towering over her partner with black flowing hair, a thick green lizard tail protruded from her lower back swaying lazily behind her. She was muscular, wielding her greatsword easily with a single hand and wore banded armor from head to toe.

"Ooooo, dibs on the tall one," Nora whispered to Pyrrha giddily.

"And today we have the final competing team from Shade Academy!" Dr. Oobleck called out. "They will have tough competition against Team JNPR."

"Indeed Bartholomew," Professor Port agreed. "These two teams have fought long and hard to make it this far…but alas…only ONE may emerge victorious!"

Floating above the arena, a bell rang signaling the combatants it was nearly time…both sides crouched down in preparation.

"3, 2, 1 BEGIN!"

Durian rushed forward in tandem with Pyrrha, the two colliding at the center for a split second before parting. He was quite fast with his sword but Pyrrha was always a step ahead of him, dodging a riposte at her head she spun, striking him in the gut with her shield. He gasped in surprise but quickly rebounded, kicking aside a follow-up assault with her spear.

Morrigan and Nora's fight was far less elegant; the pink warrior of JNPR had already drawn her hammer and started swinging. The crocodile Faunus had answered in kind, bringing her greatsword down with a mighty stroke. Each hit sent shockwaves across the field felt by their teammates. Were it not for the protective barriers the first row of attendees could have enjoyed the cool yet titanic breeze.

Ren watched Nora's movements, ever stoic and calm yet no one saw his right fist tighten slightly each time she took a hit. Changing it up, Morrigan swung her blade sideways hoping to catch her off balance. Nora expertly blocked the attack yet was immediately lifted off her feet…being so focused on the sword she missed the large tail swiping to clip her legs right out from under her. With a savage follow-up Nora was sent flying across the field, crashing through the side of one of the mountains.

Pyrrha glanced over to her fallen teammate; the hesitation was noticed by her opponent who stepped forward with a thrust. The red-haired Spartan raised her spear to parry the attack, only for the blade to bend mid-strike as if it the metal were razor thin, feinting below her weapon. Pyrrha barely had enough time to adjust his strike with her polarity, causing it to miss beneath her armpit by the slimmest margin. With a spin she swiped her shield…but the agile musketeer ducked beneath and spun away to a safe distance.

Pyrrha fell back to the mountainside just in time to greet Nora who was in the process of dislodging herself from within. Durian had similarly fallen back to Morrigan and the two stood side by side ready to continue.

"They aren't bad," Nora smiled gleefully at the Faunus girl's strength.

"He is…quite fast," she admitted, even with her polarity assisting he was keeping up with her every move.

"Please, he looks like a small breeze could take him out if you could hit."

The two looked at each other, simultaneously getting the same idea. With a simple head nod they turned to continue the battle.

Durian twirled his sword as they drew nearer, focusing on Pyrrha. In a flash the odd tube surrounding the base of his blade popped out, revealing its purpose as a gun barrel. Squeezing the handle he fired a shell squarely at her.

The red-headed warrior deflected the shot with her shield harmlessly; with a push off her back foot she lunged forward…flying past the musketeer who had stood ready to evade her attacks again. He looked utterly confused. Pyrrha had leapt past him, slamming her shield into the stomach of Morrigan who had similarly been prepared to deal with Nora.

"And Ms. Nikos and Valkyrie have switched opponents!" Professor Port had been narrating the fight but shouted so loudly that even Pyrrha could hear it over the combat.

"That's the way to go!" Jaune cheered from the stands, grabbing Ren in a bear hug despite his teammate's flat look of restrained embarrassment. He had surmised that Team ALMD's fighters had practiced to fight against the members of JNPR with similar skill sets. They wouldn't be as prepared swapping mid-fight. "Keep them off balance!"

Nora slammed her hammer down with incredible force, shattering the ground and forcing Durian back…fully aware he could not hope to parry HER blows. Conversely, Morrigan was getting angry, bringing her mighty sword down again and again…yet she could not keep up with Pyrrha's speed. Her heavy armor was not helping matters as Pyrrha could manipulate any part of her body, resulting in slower movements and missed swings she was certain should connect.

Spotting her frustration, Durian wanted to rush to her aid…but he could not get past Nora. She was slower than Pyrrha…but with a much wider kill zone. Risking it all he rushed her, easily ducking beneath her titanic hammer swing…it was too late at that point.

It happened so slowly to him…despite his phenomenal speed, he was not fast enough to stop it. As Nora's hammer passed harmlessly over his chest he noticed it start to rotate…the head of the hammer facing AWAY from him.

Nora's smile was absolutely terrifying in that moment.

Before the hammer could pass over him completely she fired the grenade rounds stored within the head…blasting her weapon full force downward directly onto Durian's chest. The young man was completely flattened into the floor…a very artistic silhouette of himself now etched into the marble.

"Oh dear that will sting in the morning," Dr. Oobleck flinched from the announcer's box. "Mr. Aramys is most certainly eliminated via aura level."

"You ok down there?" Nora asked, legitimately concerned for his well-being with how deep he had ploughed into the ground. In answer a single hand emerged…giving her a weak thumbs up before disappearing back within the crater.

A loud thud shook Nora's focus, spinning around she realized there was nothing to fear. Morrigan had collapsed to a single knee, her sword lying not far from her…she clearly had no strength left to hold it. The readout above confirmed her aura had just dipped into the red…Pyrrha's victory through a thousand cuts had been quite effective.

"And with that final blow Team ALMD is eliminated!" Professor Port cheered despite the impartiality required of his position. "That defeat will be a hard blow to Vacuo…but there will always be the next festival!"

"Indeed Peter, with that elimination we will have a brief intermission before our next match…stay tuned folks…you WONT want to miss it!"

 **CRMS Dormitory…**

Cinder leaned back on her bed, flipping through the data downloaded from Ironwood's scroll thanks to his interface with the school computer. Atlas truly had made some impressive advances over the years…were they not prepared some of them may have been formidable.

The rest of her team was with her, Mercury was busy performing push-ups to pass the time while Emerald was playing games on her scroll. Neo continued to wear her Ray disguise and was currently looking through another Howling at the Moon novel. The team had been on edge when Olivia dropped by to lend it to her but thankfully she did not ask to stay. Neo's friendship with the girl could prove to be…problematic.

"Aha," Cinder smiled as she found the latest piece of data…a classified project called P.E.N.N.Y.

"What is it?" Emerald asked, catching Cinder's tone. She was always quick to make sure Cinder was alright.

"Oh, nothing," she replied as she read over the file. "We're just going to make a slight…alteration to the plan."

Mercury groaned. "Another one?" He was fully aware of their overall plan; in order for it to work they had to create a tragedy in front of as many people as possible. "Weren't we just going to have lover boy overuse his freakish strength during the finals against Nikos?"

"No!" Cinder snapped, only realizing afterwards how it looked. Emerald, Mercury and even Neo were looking at her shocked, seeing her truly angry was a rarity. She recomposed herself and continued, "No…there will be no need for him to get his hands dirty…this will be even easier than we imagined."

Emerald and Mercury glanced at each other as she started explaining the next stage of the plan. Who knew that such a perfect development could form without their intervention? The next few days would bring their purpose at Beacon to fruition…and they were all none the wiser…

 **Vytal Festival Fairgrounds…**

Cardin grumbled miserably, kicking every couple of steps through the festival grounds. He had done everything to try and cheer himself up after his team's humiliating defeat in the first round of the tournament…but nothing was working. Had it been the old him he would have been punching holes in anything and anyone he could find…but that wasn't him anymore, the memory of how…brutish he used to be left a bad taste in his mouth even the festival food and drink could not wash out.

 _Just because I'm strong…doesn't mean I have free reign,_ the first semester lesson of Horatio had stuck with him. _People are worth more than their strength…just like…_

As if from on high, as he thought of her she appeared, Cardin spotted Velvet crouching down behind a nearby closed stand. She had not seen him and seemed focused on an old storage building, she had her camera propped up and was intently typing notes onto her scroll. Cardin smiled as he saw her, slicking his hair back with a grin. Hoping to be a surprise he slowly crept up behind her, in her focus she did not appear to notice him. With a quick movement he placed his hands over her eyes.

"Guess wh…" he started but did not finish.

As soon as his hands touched her face Velvet dropped her scroll, in an instant she gripped one of his wrists and threw Cardin armor and all over her shoulder. He slammed into the ground with a crash as she was on top of him, twisting his arm into a painful hold.

"Hey! Hands off buste…Cardin! I am so sorry!" She apologized immediately upon realizing his identity. Hurriedly she helped him to his feet, her rabbit ears shrinking down in embarrassment.

"No problem…didn't feel a thing," he lied, cracking the kinks out of his back. He had to remember she could be as strong as him…how her team lost in the first round made his head spin. "What's with the stealth mission you've got going on?"

The rabbit Faunus glanced left and right, ensuring no one else was sneaking up on them, motioning him closer she started to whisper.

"Looking for a story," she explained. With her team's early elimination from the tournament she had more free time on her hands. "A reliable shopkeeper let slip that there have been multiple clerical errors on supplies being brought in for the festival."

"Clerical errors?" Cardin wasn't following.

"Apparently, each of the different businesses he works with have noticed a surplus of supplies…more than usual. The occasional extra barrel or two is normal, after all we're only human."

Cardin smiled at her play on words.

"But…for it to occur across five separate unrelated groups at least? Something is up."

"Well if he is so worried why doesn't he just crack em open and check?"

"No can do, per festival regulations no containers of perishable goods can be opened until time for their intended use…big fines and potential loss of goods and permits for violating it."

"And he just…told you all of this?" Cardin asked, suddenly suspicious as to how Velvet acquired her sensitive information.

"I may have…overheard him speaking with a fellow employee," she announced, her ears twitching proudly atop her head.

"So…what are you doing here then?"

"I…am going to find out if it is something or not."

"What?" Cardin lowered his voice even further. "We could get in serious trouble?"

"We?" Velvet asked, her face contorting at him quizzically. "I'm the only one doing this."

"Exactly," Cardin elaborated. "Therefore WE are doing this."

Velvet's ears bobbed happily, cheeks bright red at his words. She was so flustered she almost forgot to retrieve her scroll from the ground.

"So," Cardin continued, fully committed. "Why this storage facility specifically if there were so many?"

"The others are legitimate supplies, mostly various medicines, gourmet food for the closing ceremony's masquerade ball…the works, we can't risk us being wrong and ruining them. This shed, however, is for the local noodle stalls…no one will miss a single surplus barrel if we mess up and they go bad."

 _Always so thoughtful…_

"So we wait for it to get dark and move in?"

"Nonono," she warned him. "The Atlesian knights make up most of the security…they don't need to sleep AND have night vision. But during the final round of the tournament. they'll need just about everything they can get helping with the crowds at the stadium. All we need to do...is wait."

Cardin smiled mischievously at her plan. His delinquent days may be behind him…but seeing Velvet acting so…fiendish made him realize all the more how absolutely lucky he was…

"The finals huh? I guess that makes the rest of today tantalizingly free then?" He grinned smugly from ear to ear.

Velvet's cheeks flared red once more at his words, her ears shrinking down in contrast to her smile.

"I…suppose so."

 **Amity Coliseum…**

"Well, no water…that's a plus," Sun muttered to himself as the anti-gravity biome was selected for their doubles round. HERO's side of the field had already been selected as a rainforest; Sun knew his best chance was to make for the trees at his earliest chance.

The stadium was absolutely packed, even more so than it had been for the team matches. The remainder of Team HERO and RWBY were in attendance but had to spread out to find seats. Olivia had found herself sitting beside Cinder and Emerald while Roland had been able to squeeze in with his family and Yang. They were able to keep everyone together thanks to Elf volunteering as seating for Cinnamon. Casey had even agreed to Yang's offer to sit on her shoulders and had her arms cheerfully raised.

"Show them not to mess with Beacon!" Olivia cheered, grabbing the nearby railing and jumping up and down. They may have been friends with team SSSN, but ones own team took precedence. "Tear them apart!"

 _If only he took that literally,_ Cinder smirked, she was more amused than she should have been at Emerald's face of restrained torment at Olivia's upbeat cheers of encouragement right next to her.

"Good luck Neptune!" Weiss called out, smiling at the blue-haired fighter. Despite their early flirtations the two had realized after the dance that's all it was and it was best for them to remain friends. They had silently parted ways on good terms.

Across the way Roland let out a sharp whistle trying to be heard above the crowd. Elf released a long deep howl that brought silence to their segment of the arena until she finished. Sun's fan club were out in full force as dozen's of girls cheered for his victory, holding up signs showcasing the fit Faunus' face and abs...more of the latter than the former. Horatio looked away in embarrassment as he realized several newcomers had pictures of him held high above the rest, pink hearts and lip prints drawn across them...at least he hoped they were drawn on.

Cinder sat unmoving, on the outside she seemed to find the girls who had become enamored with Horatio's victories entertaining...internally she contemplated how much trouble would be caused if their handmade posters suddenly went up in flames.

"No hard feelings when we win right?" Sun asked Horatio, his ever present smile absolutely beaming.

"Funny…I was about to say the same to you,"

The two sides approached and gave heartfelt handshakes as the bell rang to signal the match. No matter who won…they were all friends.

3, 2, 1, BEGIN!

Esmerelda drew her weapon and extended her naginata to five feet, twirling gracefully towards Neptune who had similarly drawn his trident…the prongs pulsating with electricity. She made sure when parrying to pull her weapon back instantly to minimize the jolt her aura took with each blow.

As expected Sun had jumped into the nearby trees, raining down a hail of fruit and other assorted hangings among the treetops as Horatio gave chase. Sun was an expert at using the terrain to his advantage, Horatio would have to catch him first.

"Horatio is much stronger than Sun," Roland's father pointed out among the cheering crowd. "His only hope is to wear him down with hit and run tactics or go for a ring out."

"I was worried about that," Roland agreed. "Especially with the rainforest setting…Sun is in his element."

Horatio pushed off the ground, gripping the top branches to balance among the tree tops. Every step he was hounded by incoming fire from Sun's gunchucks…the blonde Faunus was trying to frustrate him…and it was working the longer he kept out of reach.

"Sun won't be caught anytime soon…but he can't win like this," it was Blake's turn to commentate to her team. "Knowing him he probably has no idea what to do…and is trying to think of something fast."

Across the field Esmerelda and Neptune sparred with their respective styles. With how similar their weapons were they appeared to be relatively evenly matched. Esmerelda cartwheeled over Neptune's shoulder, elbowing him in the back as he attempted in vain to turn fast enough. Seamlessly transforming his weapon back into a rifle he fired point blank, forcing her to spin away and give some space between them. Once clear, she summoned two additional weapons, commanding them to hover over her shoulders…Neptune did not look pleased.

The blue-haired fighter glanced around for an advantage, finally catching sight of the border between the rainforest and the zero gravity biome. His plan formed immediately in his head. Taking aim he started firing his rifle at Esmerelda. His aim was excellent; however her weapon clones intercepted every shot acting as her sword and shield. As his last shot was deflected, Neptune planted his trident into the ground, using it to pole vault through the air straight towards her.

 _What is he thinking? He is far too slow._

Esmerelda summoned her weapons into a spinning "X" shape in front of her; he could not hope to make it through her defense.

Neptune was grinning as he flew towards her, only now did she realize he had lowered his goggles over his eyes. With a twirl his trident was now facing towards her, the electricity building up at the three prongs into a single point.

 _NO!_ She realized what was happening too late.

An immense burst of light erupted from his weapon, so bright Esmerelda was forced to cover her eyes…she couldn't see a thing. The beam of energy blasted beneath her weapons which had ceased spinning with her temporary blindness…catching her square in the chest. She flew backwards…passing into the zero gravity region. Esmerelda immediately started floating off the ground; even after her vision started to clear she could no longer move...every attempt to extricate herself only served to cause the huntress in training to spin lazily in place.

Neptune raised his goggles, grinning in victory. In her current state Esmerelda was little more than target practice…taking careful aim he narrowed his rifle at the floating helpless huntress.

 **In the Rainforest…**

"If you jump to ONE more tree…" Horatio threatened, his frustration now at the boiling point. Sun had not even attempted a single attack in melee range; his gunchucks were impressive but stood no chance of causing real damage on their own.

Amazingly, Sun finally stopped, turning with a wink and a wave of his hand as if he were bidding him farewell.

His meaning revealed itself as Horatio's legs were clipped out from under him. A light clone of Sun had been hiding behind the latest tree in his path…the monkey Faunus must have split it off from himself while he was out of Horatio's sight. Team HERO's leader tumbled from the trees, plummeting into the dirt far below with a crash.

"And Mr. Wukong has sent Mr. Soplar sprawling to the forest floor…leaving Team SSSN with the high ground!" Dr. Oobleck commentated as he strove to see through the dust kicked up from the impact. "The young Faunus is utterly unmatched in the dense foliage!"

"Ah, but don't count Mr. Soplar out just yet," Professor Port warned. "As we have seen already he has the sheer manly willpower to withstand incredible punishments. This match is a battle of true huntsMEN!"

"You can give up anytime," Sun called down towards the Horatio-shaped hole now present in the floor while hanging upside down from his tail. Smugly, he high-fived the clone that had tripped him up before it shimmered out of existence. "I can keep this up all day!"

Horatio pulled himself out of the hole, his movements slow but powerful trying to emphasize his utter annoyance at Sun's hit and run tactics.

 _I…AM…DONE!_

With a roar of frustrated anger Horatio punched the nearest tree; the trunk cracked at its base and fell over with a crash. He proceeded to do it again…and again…and again until he was completely surrounded by fallen trees, forming a glade around him.

"Could Mr. Soplar be hoping to destroy the entire biome to remove Mr. Wukong's terrain advantage?" Dr. Oobleck theorized. "This match will take all day at that rate!" Professor Port only shook his head.

"No…look!"

Horatio grabbed the nearest fallen trunk, his fingers sinking into the bark and wood to grip it firmly. He had absorbed MORE than enough kinetic force from his fall and blows against the nearby trees. He felt unbeatable in that moment. With all his might he hurtled the tree trunk in its entirety towards Sun like a massive javelin.

The blonde Faunus leapt out of the way, barely dodging the attack, his eyes wide in surprise and fear as the wooden missile tore through the forest…finally impacting the protective field and collapsing to the ground harmlessly outside the arena.

"Whoa whoa, calm down dude!" Sun called out, but Horatio was not listening…he was already winding up a second tree.

"See?" Olivia bragged to Emerald and Ray as the fight continued. "He is always amazing but when he really cuts loose it is something to behold." Ray nodded her head in agreement, watching the match with a big smile on her face. Despite her enjoyment she was leaning back relaxed in her seat. "See that Emerald?" She leaned over and placed a hand on the green-haired girls shoulder. "You can tell he's going all out because he's practically glow…"

A sharp pain shot through Olivia's skull, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut by reflex.

 _ **Do NOT forget your place.**_

 _ **Excuse me…I'm looking for a friend of mine…**_

 _ **Ah yes, she was just here yesterday.**_

 _ **Remember the plan…EXACTLY as discussed.**_

 _ **Please don't…**_

A blood curdling scream snapped Olivia back to the arena, sending her tumbling backwards. Ray was immediately on her feet, catching her before she fell into the crowd of spectators behind her.

 _Wh…what was that? I didn't even try to do anything…Where did that come from?_

"Are you…ok?" Emerald asked having noticed the fall.

"I'm…fine," Olivia gasped, she was sweating profusely and her breaths came erratically. "I just…need some water." With careful, timid steps she made her way out of the stands looking for the nearest washroom.

"Huh…weirdo," Emerald muttered under her breath as she turned back towards the match. She had been so engrossed in the fight that Cinder had missed their entire exchange.

 **In Zero Gravity…**

Esmerelda swung her blade, trying in vain to create momentum for her to avoid Neptune's incoming fire, but it was a losing battle. He had destroyed one of her weapon clones already, she tried to send them towards him but he was so far away he easily evaded and shattered the one commanded.

 _If only I could get some momentum to carry me back over,_ she growled in her head. _Or drag him in with me somehow…the odds would be even_.

 _Strength and physics…_

Esmerelda remembered Horatio's words at their first outing in the Emerald Forest. The answer was so simple she felt embarrassed she hadn't thought of it sooner. Esmerelda created a third weapon, the last she'd be able to make.

Neptune felt a twinge of fear as she pointed squarely at him, her eyes burning with determination as the third weapon blasted towards him at full speed. Despite his momentary fear Neptune spun, easily parrying the cloned weapon and shattering it with a burst of electricity as he had before.

As he dealt with her distraction, Esmerelda brought her remaining weapons closer to her…taking hold of them with each hand. With a strong grip she commanded them back towards Team SSSN's fighter…with ease they dragged her to the safety of the rainforest biome edge. Her weapons were never subject to gravity and contained the mass to harm her opponents…no reason they couldn't pull her along for the ride.

"You can fly now?" Neptune asked in shock. Despite reaching a normal gravity zone Esmerelda did not release her hold on the weapons.

"Technically…they are the ones flying," she smiled before the naginatas blasted towards Neptune…Esmerelda hanging on.

She flew over his head, bringing her heels up for an uppercut kick catching him in the chin. Recovering quickly, he swung his trident around…only to hit empty air as she released hold of the right weapon and performed an expert handstand on the left. With a graceful spin she caught Neptune in the back with her leg and sent the young man flying…right into the zero gravity zone.

Without skipping a beat, Esmerelda sent both her remaining clones in after him…with his weapon still in its trident form he had no way to move himself from the weightless field.

"Aw man…" he groaned as the weapons struck him simultaneously.

 **Amidst the Trees….**

Sun scrambled to avoid the tree thrown towards him, tearing apart the tops of the nearby trees before flying out of the arena…already an impressive pile had formed behind him. There were enough to build a log cabin in Professor Port's survival class.

 _That's it…a little more…_ Horatio pictured it in his mind, every movement, every choice Sun made when avoiding his throws…the next one should…

With a grunt he released the next tree towards Sun, as the first left his hands he immediately reached for the second at his feet. Sun kicked off his perch, leaping for the safety of one of the few remaining branches available after Horatio's scorched earth strategy…just as he had predicted.

"Create the future," he whispered to himself as he chucked the final tree directly towards the lone branch in tandem with Sun's evasive leap. Across the arena, Cinder's smile grew...she was an expert at reading lips.

Sun had nowhere to go, landing gently on the branch as the massive trunk plowed into it. The young man was thrown through the air; Horatio could even spot his aura shimmer and spark. It had to be in the red.

A gasp of shock erupted from the stands, even Blake stood to her feet, hands over her mouth.

"Oh no!" Horatio cried, rushing forward. As the dust cleared he could see that Sun was plummeting to the forest floor like a stone…he was clearly unconscious. With his aura in the red a fall from that height could be fatal!

Shifting all the excess force in his body to his legs Horatio sped off in his direction as Sun's limp form fell faster and faster…the ground coming up to meet him. Horatio caught him at the last possible second, absorbing the kinetic force of his fall to reduce his momentum to zero…Sun fell into his arms with a soft poof.

"Come on Sun," Horatio pleaded as he lowered his friend to the ground. "Please say you're okay!"

"Good…match…man…did you get the number of that tree? I am pretty sure he was speeding." Sun groaned, opening his eyes and grinning. Horatio released a pent up gasp of relief as he got to his feet. Taking Horatio's hand in his own he raised them high for the crowd to see. The previous gasp of shock turned into cheers of praise as it became obvious that Sun was just fine. Esmerelda rushed over to them, Neptune staggering not far behind.

 _That was too close,_ was all Horatio could think even as the crowd cheered their win. _I used too much strength...even just a second later and Sun might have..._

From the stands, making her way down to see them, Cinder had the same thoughts...though in a much different context...

 _He almost enabled our plan for us early..._

"I'm going to kill both of them," Blake whispered from her seat, leaning back with a smile that Sun was alright.

"And Beacon Academy will have a team in the finals!" Professor Port called out to the audience. "I know our resident students will be relieved to hear it…coming up next after a brief intermission…Team CRMS of Haven will face Team HALO of Atlas!"

As they made their way out, the arena shifting back to its default setting in preparation for the upcoming fight, Cinder intercepted their team…subtly pushing Sun out of the way so she could wrap her arms around Horatio.

"An excellent win," she complimented. "We can discuss it while Emerald and Mercury compete."

"That…" Horatio started before the beeping of his scroll interrupted them. Curious as to who it might be he turned it on.

" ** _Please report to Professor Ozpin's Office immediately_** " flashed across his screen, no audio but the message had come directly from Ms. Goodwitch's own scroll…and he wasn't the only name copied at the bottom. His heart sank, unless CRMS' match entered record length he'd never make it back in time to watch.

"I'm sorry…I have to…"

"I understand," Cinder assured him, having glanced at the message on the scroll. "I'll save you a seat for after."

"You're...the literal best," he smiled, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before rushing off towards Beacon Tower. The rest of his team made their way towards the locker rooms, Sage and Scarlet had hooked one of Sun's arms around each of them to help him walk for the on-hand medical staff to look him over…leaving Cinder standing alone in the hall.

"Neo," she whispered through her earpiece, unconsciously rubbing her cheek where he had kissed her. "Make sure Emerald's bug is transmitting clearly…I have a feeling things may get…interesting."

 **Ozpin's office**

"Well…they are on their way up," Qrow informed Ozpin who was currently gazing out his window at the stadium floating in the distance. Winter was already in the office standing beside him, the general having sent her ahead in preparation for their meeting. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I suppose…we delayed long enough," he sighed, spinning his chair around to face the grizzled huntsman. "Say what you will about James' lack of patience...he does mean well."

"I can attest to that," Winter assured them. "His only objective is total victory for us."

Qrow restrained a groan at her cold statement, was it her or Jimmy who didn't have a heart? In his experience...the ends rarely justified the means.

"We'll have to answer a lot of awkward questions Oz…"

"I know, but they will be shouldering the defense of our world. If they agree…they'll deserve the answers they seek…."

"And you are certain you've picked the right one?"

"Maiden's choose themselves...I simply believe I've found the right candidate. She is kind, resourceful and strong...I felt that she could be the one from the first time we met. And as for him...we have already confirmed his identity beyond a doubt. They are already acquainted and on good terms...perhaps that will make the explanation and acceptance of their duty a little easier."

 **Horatio and our heroes walk towards an uncertain future, what awaits him within Beacon Tower? Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	29. Of Maidens and Guardians

**The doubles round concludes, the reveal of an age-old conflict is brought to light. How will it affect our heroes and will they be prepared for the burdens ahead?**

Yang couldn't believe it was already time for their fight. Mercury and Emerald had taken the stage to face Team HALO of Atlas…it was clear most of the crowd was expecting an amazing fight. Instead, it had been almost as one sided as their match against CRDL.

The leader of Team HALO, Hahn Jaeger, was an imposing student wearing Atlas designed silver power armor clearly thought his strength would be unmatched…it did not take long for Mercury to kick such thoughts out of his head. His teammate had fared just as poorly against Emerald…no matter how much ammo she fired she just could not hit her even once. Team CRMS' leader seemed to have expected the outcome, the entire match she had barely glanced up from her scroll. The crowd cheered at their win...though clearly felt unfulfilled at the overwhelming victory.

And now it was Team RWBY's match against Team FNKI, another Atlas team. The pressure would be on them after the defeat of their fellow schoolmates.

"It's our turn now!" Yang announced proudly as she and Weiss stood in the arena, awaiting the arrival of their opponents. Before they would be too busy to notice she threw a big smile and wave towards Roland and his family. Weiss did the same towards General Ironwood's seat only to notice both he and her sister were absent.

Roland returned Yang's wave enthusiastically, shirking in embarrassment as she blew him a playful kiss…with his mother and father standing right beside him. Despite that he couldn't resist smiling. His father had gotten them amazing seats alongside Olivia, Esmerelda and the rest of Team RWBY.

"Well, you're from Atlas…what can we expect?" Yang asked Weiss as she attempted to hold in her laughter at Roland's expense.

"Well," the heiress started, raising her chin proudly as she recalled the knowledge of her home kingdom. "Seeing as their kingdom, academy AND armed forces are all merged as one, I think we can expect strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategies like Team HAL…"

Weiss' explanation was cut short as what appeared to be a literal rainbow blasted past…looping around to a halt in front of them. Team RWBY did not quite know what to make of them.

On the left having just hopped up onto the stage was Flynt Coal still wearing his suit and fedora combo he had at the chess event. In his hands he held a silver trumpet, the same he used when performing at the dance and when they spotted him occasionally wandering the festival playing for passersby. What made the girls feel uneasy was the absolutely terrifying glare he was giving Weiss.

His partner had been the rainbow blasting past…at first they did not recognize her, however it became evident she was Neon Katt who had controlled the Queen piece. During the chess event the Faunus girl had been very conservatively dressed in her Atlas school uniform, her orange-red hair straight and free down her back, the blue streaks barely noticeable. She had been the spitting image of an Atlesian student.

Now…her hair was tied up into enormous pigtails, instead of her uniform she was sporting a revealing tank top showing off a fair amount of skin and her purple bra beneath. Foregoing her previous uniform pants she had a bright pink mini-skirt complete with smiley face belt. On her right arm she had a tattoo of a shooting star trailing rainbows winding up almost to the shoulder; Weiss was relatively certain that was not permitted by the Atlas dress code. Her choice in accessories was baffling as it appeared she was wearing a collar with a bell around her neck and a teal band around her orange-red cat tail. The only somewhat professional aspect of her attire were the bracers she wore to protect her arms. The last point that made Yang and Weiss' jaws drop was the fact she appeared to be getting around…on rollerblades.

"Or…whatever they are," was all she could think to say.

"Hey!" Flynt called out to her, his glare suddenly gone. "You're Weiss Schnee right…the heiress?"

"I am," Weiss smiled, ever cheerful when the center of attention.

"I take it you're pretty good with dust then."

"I do my best."

"Yea…my dad was good too," he started, his tone growing more flat as he continued. "Owned a little dust shop of his own…'til your father's company ran him outta business." As he completed his final sentence his glare reappeared…staring daggers at Weiss over his black shades.

"Oh..." Weiss' previous smile deflated at his words. "I'm…so sorry to hear that." She truly sounded remorseful.

"Suuuuure you are," Flynt rolled his eyes sarcastically, looking away from her as if it disgusted him to continue the conversation.

"Oh no," Esmerelda groaned, remembering Flynt's hatred during the team round of the tournament. As Olivia and Roland glanced over to their distressed teammate she explained what he had told her before.

"Indeed, I recall the incident," Mr. Mane confirmed solemnly. "Mr. Schnee was QUITE set on crushing all other competition in Atlas several years back…more so than normal. It was one of the times my firm wanted nothing to do with the Schnee Dust Corporation…"

Silently he clenched his left fist…relaxing only at the touch of his beloved wife on his shoulder.

"Hey!" Yang had shouted towards Flynt at his obvious disdain for Weiss. "Why don't you just listen to…?"

"Hey…why don't YOU!" Neon interrupted mockingly. "That's what YOU sound like."

"Wha…" Yang started…unsure how to respond.

"Hey!" Neon shouted, interrupting her again. "Where'd you get your hair extensions?"

Roland paled in the stands at her jab at Yang's hair, Ruby equally horrified beside him.

"This is just my…normal hair," Yang replied, uncertain how they got to this point so fast.

"Oooh…really?" The spunky Faunus asked, squinting her face as if confused and had more to say on the matter.

"Yea…is that a prob…?"

"I saw you at the chess event, it was reeallly fun," she continued, her topics jumping faster and faster. "You and your boyfriend kinda got trounced though…what was his name? Ronny?"

"...It's Roland, and weren't we on your tea…?"

"He was really cute! How does he feel about Faunus? I think he'd MUCH rather hang out with me…you frown WAY too much…that'll get you wrinkles ya know…"

"She's insane!" Roland pulled at his black hair, utterly baffled by the girl's insults. "Yang is going to tear her apart!"

Ruby could only cover her mouth as Neon continued, too worried to say anything. Her optimism gave way to the knowledge of how her sister acted in such situations.

"Hey…what's that supposed to mea…?" Yang continued to be cut off, Neon gave no quarter.

"You'd look GREAT if you smiled more…try rollerblading…it is SUPER fun! It'd probably take you a while though considering you're so…you know…top-heavy." She grinned mischievously at her last words as she eyed Yang up and down, clearly proud of herself.

Yang briefly glanced down at herself, suddenly becoming self-conscious of her bust, her mouth flopped open and closed, striving to formulate the words she wished to counter with…they would not come. Even Weiss took a small step away from Yang…based on the look on her face she was absolutely fuming.

"Oh here we go," Ruby groaned, fully aware of Yang's short fuse when others would question her body image.

Roland's calm demeanor fell away at Neon's last words, despite his parents standing no more than a few feet away he stood up and leaned the railing…shouting as loud as he could to be heard above the crowd. Trash-talking was one thing…Neon had crossed a line.

"She's trying to get in your head Yang! Just block her out…ignore it! She has NO idea what she's even talking about! Your top is perfection incarnate!"

Yang spun around, somehow having heard him even from so far away. Roland smiled as he saw she had started to laugh, gripping her sides to prevent doubling over, his proclamation utterly ridiculous. Neon and Flynt just glanced at each other, each equally disbelieving of what he had just shouted.

Turning around Roland shirked back, his mother and father were covering Casey and Cinnamon's ears respectively…their mouths hanging open at what he had done. He'd be hearing about it later for certain. Even Olivia had covered Ruby's ears, the young sniper trying to pull her hands off.

 _Totally worth it,_ Roland thought to himself. Yang had laughed off Neon's insults; already she looked focused and ready to fight.

"3…2…1…BEGIN!"

 **Beacon Tower Elevator…**

Glynda Goodwitch and James Ironwood stood in the elevator making its way to Ozpin's office in Beacon Tower. They had arrived at the same time and silently gotten in together…neither uttering a word.

"I…WILL keep them safe Glynda," Ironwood finally proclaimed, shattering the silence. "I swear it."

"It would be BETTER," she stressed the final word harshly. "If they did not have to be protected at all…I know Mr. Soplar is incredibly strong and Ms. Nikos is the most skilled huntress Beacon has seen in years but…this isn't right."

"No…it's not," Ironwood agreed, turning to face her. "But it is…"

"Necessary," she finished for him once more. "I still do not like it."

"I know you don't…if there was ANYTHING else we could do…"

"I'm coming with you."

Ironwood froze at her announcement; his eyes were wider than Glynda could remember seeing in years…it made her smile inside that she could still have that effect on him.

"What?"

"If those children are going to be training to fight a war…having a familiar face will help ease the process. It is my…professional opinion, that I should be present in your Titan Project as an instructor."

Ironwood had to contain himself, the circumstances may not have been ideal…but it was the first time since the Academy that Glynda would have a reason to return to Atlas with him…long term.

"That…would be most agreeab…" Ironwood's restrained acceptance of her request was cut off as Glynda seized him by his tie.

In a swift movement she pulled him in close, planting a passionate kiss on his lips, as was becoming standard issue for him Ironwood was uncertain how to react. This was hardly the time or place, but he didn't care. Reaching out he pulled the bespectacled teacher into his arms, deepening the embrace. Perhaps…all of this could finally work out.

Hesitantly, James Ironwood reached into his pocket, fingers grasping around the small box he had failed to give her before. As he was about to pull it out a ding echoed, signaling they had reached their destination…had his lips not been locked with the woman he loved he would most assuredly have cursed to the heavens for the luck and timing that was never on his side.

 **Beacon Tower…Ozpin's office…**

Horatio twiddled and popped his thumbs as he sat in the seat facing Ozpin's desk. This was the second time he had found himself in the Headmaster's office since arriving at Beacon…only this time he was not alone.

"Well, it comes as no surprise that your teams have chosen both of you to move onto the final round of the tournament." Ozpin congratulated.

"Thank you Professor," Pyrrha smiled, sitting in the seat beside Horatio. "But I would never have made it this far without my teammates."

"Personally, I think it's the other way around," remarked the dark-haired man standing in the corner who had been in the office since they arrived. The woman standing beside him elbowed his gut slightly in response to his words..

"I'm…sorry," Pyrrha started, clearly uncertain how to respond to his comment. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Name's Qrow," he replied, short and to the point.

"He's Ruby's Uncle," Horatio clarified. _Though with his tact it makes me wonder how Ruby is so sweet._ He did not need to introduce the woman, Pyrrha was well aware of the former heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation's identity.

"They are trusted colleagues of mine," Ozpin continued.

"Professor…if you don't mind me asking," she asked, ever polite despite the jab made at her team. "Why have you called us here?"

Ozpin just looked at the two of them, his eyes becoming more serious. "What is your favorite Fairy Tale?"

"I'm…sorry?" Pyrrha asked.

"Um…" Horatio stammered, simultaneously trying to recall old tales along with the question of why Ozpin would be so interested.

"Fairy Tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."

"Well," Pyrrha started after giving the Headmaster a confused look. "There's the tale of the two brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower…"

"Sleeping Sendrilla," Horatio started his own list. "The Phantom of the Bell Tower, A Thousand and One Legends, the Story of the Seasons…"

"So you are a fan of that one?" Ozpin asked, latching onto his last story.

"Ah, of course," Pyrrha agreed, remembering the story as well. "A callous old man who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him."

"And the fourth sister," Horatio stepped in, unable to resist continuing the story. "Begged him to look at all he has and to be thankful for it rather than looking to what he does not." That part of the story had especially spoken to him growing up in the Academy.

"In return for their kindness," Pyrrha continued. "The man grants the maidens incredible powers so that they may continue to help others all around the world. They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. My Mother loves that story."

"My mom wasn't such a fan," Horatio chuckled. "My dad was though, it was the first bedtime story I remember him ever telling me…but you left out the best part."

Pyrrha glanced over to him confused, thinking of what she could have missed. Professor Ozpin continued to stare in silence, listening.

"What…did I leave out?

Horatio looked at her, mouth agape, shocked that she couldn't recall the next part of the fable. He quickly realized that she, Ozpin, Winter and Qrow were now focused solely on him.

"Th…the verse of the Guardian."

Pyrrha clearly had no idea what he was talking about.

"Well…not long after the old man sent the four Maidens out to do good in Remnant…he grew afraid for they were so innocent and the world was a dangerous place. So he brought in a young boy, the story never specified their relationship whether he was his son, an orphan or the first kind-hearted man he met after leaving his home. Knowing the boy was pure of heart he gifted him the strength and fortitude to protect the Maidens from any who would do them harm and sent him out to find them. He was the Guardian of the Seasons…the First Knight."

"My Mother never mentioned that part," Pyrrha explained, truly she could think of no version of the tale that included such a passage.

"No one has told that part of the tale in…a long time," Ozpin finally interjected. "Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?"

Pyrrha chuckled at his statement. "You aren't THAT old Professor."

"Well…would you believe me if I told you it was true?"

Horatio and Pyrrha stared blankly. "Which part?"

"All of it. What if I were to tell you that there were four Maidens and a Guardian Knight existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power…without dust?"

"You mean like…a semblance?" Pyrrha asked.

"Like magic," Ozpin smiled.

"Magic?" Horatio asked. "But that's…"

"Crazy?" Qrow interrupted. "Yea, first time hearing it usually sounds that way."

"It can be…a lot to take in," Winter added.

"You're…serious." Pyrrha whispered, more of a statement than a question.

Ozpin nodded slightly. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Horatio had seen Ozpin joke…or attempt to at least. He had not seen his eyes so focused since he discerned he'd been lying about having a semblance.

"What…does this have to do with us?" He finally asked, the tick-tocks of the gears surrounding Ozpin's desk suddenly seeming far too loud in the dead silence. Ozpin hesitated, glancing over his shoulder to Qrow as if requesting permission. Inhaling deeply he finally continued.

"We are telling you Pyrrha Nikos…because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers, and that you, Mr. Soplar, are the current Guardian of this generation."

Their eyes collectively widened in shock, these two students…children…had just taken their first steps into the world at large.

"We?" Pyrrha asked.

In response the elevator door flew open. Professor Goodwitch and General Ironwood stepped out into the room.

"Sorry we're late," the General apologized with a quick fix of his disheveled tie. Ms. Goodwitch was similarly adjusting her glasses while subtly straightening her dress.

"What is going on here?" Horatio rediscovered his voice as he got to his feet.

"Who are you?" Pyrrha agreed, the two standing together.

"You know who we are," Ms. Goodwitch answered with a smile. "We're still the same teachers and Headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon."

"Cept we've got a little part-time job," Qrow started.

"We are the protectors of this world," Ironwood finished.

"Fighting a war that the public cannot know about," Winter stepped forward alongside the general.

"And we need your help," this time it was Ozpin again, the conversation coming full circle.

Horatio's head was spinning, this was too much. He had thought for sure he was called to the office in regards to the tournament or his ideas on alternatives to combating the Grimm…but now they were talking about saving the world and magic?

"Help…with what?"

 **Team FNKI fight…**

"Never miss a beat, never miss a beat, never miss a beat," Neon chanted like a mantra as she sped away leading the blonde brawler all over the arena.

Yang was still grinning, eager to finally catch and obliterate the trash-talking hyperactive Faunus. She seemed to have a speed semblance similar to Ruby's…only far more annoying as instead of trailing rose petals in short bursts she had a continuous albeit slower ability leaving behind a path of rainbow light in her wake.

Yang unloaded her gauntlets, Ember Celica, again and again yet the spastic fighter evaded each shot continuing to chant. The biome they fought in had been selected as an urban sprawl of which Neon appeared right at home…always finding the best surface for her rollerblades.

The match had started with a bang, the moment they were permitted Flynt had blasted a thunderous tune with his trumpet, forcing Yang and Weiss to root themselves to prevent being thrown backwards. Weiss theorized he must have dust vials installed inside it allowing him to manipulate them in conjunction with the sounds produced.

While the two were holding their ground, Neon had sped forward, clocking Yang in the chest with a powerful kick and sending her flying. Flynt immediately ceased his performance…the separation of the two clearly their opening strategy.

Weiss wanted to talk some more…explain the difference between most of her family and herself to FNKI's leader…but now was not the time. She could speak more after the fight. In a flash she summoned four glyphs; with a series of graceful spins she fired a javelin of ice from each.

Flynt only smiled at her attack, looking around the molten landscape that had been selected for the other half of the field. Sliding to his knees dramatically he let forth another note from his trumpet…manipulating a nearby volcanic vent to redirect its fiery contents towards the incoming projectiles. The four javelins melted instantly long before reaching him.

"Too bad all that money can't buy you skill," Flynt remarked, tilting his hat mockingly in her direction.

Weiss stomped her feet, utterly fed up with him despite his reasons. "I'll have you know…father cut me off!"

Spinning her cartridge Weiss settle on her water dust, ever since the train battle she had learned the advantage of utilizing all she has at her disposal…not just what she excels at. All of Atlas knew of her singing talent…as a result she had learned a thing or two on how sound works…

Flynt released a mighty projected tone, the wall of sound funneling towards her in a conal shape. Before it could impact Weiss swung her sword, releasing a miniature wave towards it…before diving gracefully out of the way taking cover behind a boulder.

The blast struck the water…instantly rippling through it at increased speeds and exploding out the back far larger than the initial burst. Few people realized that soundwaves traveled faster through water than air…his attack was amplified drastically in the few seconds it was submerged. The shockwave reverberated across the entire arena, even Yang was forced to hold on and Neon was sent flying from the girder she had been skating across. She barely grabbed a broken flag pole and righted herself in the nick of time.

"Be careful Flynt!" She called out, muttering her chant under her breath to get back into rhythm.

Flynt pulled himself back to his feet, the backlash from the attack staggering even him. As he stood he realized he was surrounded by glyphs Weiss had set up during the confusion. The silver-haired fighter catapulted herself off one behind him, cracking Flynt across the back with her sword. Flying past him she struck the opposite side glyph…pushing off it she struck him again all the while altering her angle slightly to land her on a different glyph each time. In a matter of seconds Flynt was ping-ponged back and forth from all Weiss' attacks…she was moving so fast he could have sworn there were two of her.

Growling under his breath, Flynt aimed his trumpet at the ground, with a huge intake of break he released the strongest burst he could muster. The waves slammed into the molten earth, kicking up a shockwave effect in all directions, sending Weiss flying as she soared in for another attack. Quickly thinking, Weiss summoned a platform beneath, bouncing off it and landing with a flip.

"It appears Mr. Coal has activated his semblance…quite a powerful one at that," Dr. Oobleck announced to the audience. "Mr. Coal's…Killer Quartet!"

"Wha…?"

As Weiss rebounded she looked over to her opponent…opponents she corrected in her head as now there were very clearly four separate men staring her down across the field. Every single one of them was Flynt Coal. They were indistinguishable from each other save for the tie and colored strip around his Fedora. Flynt's had been blue, however the newly added clones were yellow, pink and green respectively. All four acted in tandem, only the slightest of delays as the clones followed the movements of the original.

The power of his semblance was incredible; the same blast that had immobilized them previously struck Weiss multiplied by four. She was instantly lifted off her feet and knocked further away from the urban biome, barely scraping the edge of the arena, sinking Myrtenaster into the ground to halt herself.

Ignoring his teammate currently engaging with Yang behind him, Flynt glanced up at the scoreboard; taking note that his aura had dipped to just over half left…his semblance was powerful yet costly. He smiled realizing with only a single remaining blow from his trumpet he will have humiliated the daughter of the man who ruined his family…

 **Urban Biome…**

On the other side of the field Yang had continued her cat and mouse chase, despite her focus frustration was threatening to return. After recovering from her near ring-out Neon had revealed her weapon…a pair of nunchucks seemingly made out of…glow sticks? Yang had tried to stop being surprised at this point.

Her speed semblance allowed the petite Faunus to duck under Yang's powerful right hook, clipping her in the foot. On top of the spike of pain Yang realized that the weapon had frozen a block of ice around it up to her ankle…clearly the glow within was dust crystals.

Neon started to laugh at Yang's restricted movement. "See, now you're bottom heavy too!" She mocked once more, slapping her own butt for emphasis. "Does Ronny go for those kinds of girls?"

"As a matter of fact he has complimented my assets many times," Yang threw right back at her, with a raise of her leg she brought it down, shattering the ice encasing it instantly.

Meanwhile amidst the stands Roland found himself under the scrutinizing eyes of his parents once more….this time Ruby glared daggers at him beside them. The screen following the fight for those in further seats had been focused on Yang and Neon just as they had started their verbal spar and caught every word.

"She's kidding," Roland tried to persuade them. "She only said that to shoot down Neon's insult…honest!"

No one looked like they were buying his story. It certainly did not help matters that Olivia was absolutely beaming at him, giving him a proud thumbs up of approval. Esmerelda did her best to act as though she was only focusing on the fight…staying out of it.

Despite Yang's knowledge of her semblance, Neon continued to evade her, locking up her left fist in ice next. While she was temporarily off balance she brought her rollerblades up, kicking Yang hard in the chest and sending her crashing into a nearby wall.

"You should cool off," Neon stifled a laugh at her own pun. "Get it…because you're angry."

Mrs. Mane briefly forgot the horror of what she was learning of her son as she also held back a laugh, snorting again despite her best efforts.

"It's too bad we barely know each other," Yang retorted. "Let me break the ice," with a single swing of her hand she shattered its prison. The echoing laughter of Mrs. Mane could now be heard even from the arena. "My little sister has a semblance like yours…practicing when we were little was equally annoying."

"Hey!" Ruby shouted from the stands.

"Well…if you lost some weight it'd probably be easier to catch us."

Yang froze. "….what?"

Had Yang turned around she would have seen Roland roaring something in the distance drowned out by the crowd, the combined efforts of Olivia, Esmerelda, Ruby and Elf all that prevented him from leaping into the arena himself.

"Well, being so top-heavy can only hide so much, you should really think about losing some of that excess fat…well I'm not saying you SHOULD go on a diet…I'm saying you really NEED to go on a diet." She continued to skate circles around the blonde brawler as she capped off her coup de grace. "You're fat."

Yang's eyes exploded red, her hair igniting in flames as her semblance activated. With a roar she fired every shell loaded in Ember Celica simultaneously, the rounds augmented by her fury rocketed straight towards Neon. Her eyes went wide at the size of the blast, with an expert pirouette she twirled past the attack missing her by such a slim margin she could feel the heat on her arm.

"Does the thing with your eyes affect your vision? You are pretty cute like that, but it wasn't even close," she mocked despite the obvious proximity of the shot. Her smug smile faltered as she realized Yang was grinning.

"Wasn't aiming for you, if your attention span was as long as your hair extensions you might have noticed." Yang replied smugly, wrapping a new belt of bullets into her gauntlets in a flash.

Neon spun in horror, she had not even noticed that Flynt had cornered the Schnee girl at the edge of the ring, his quartet ready to knock her out of bounds. He'd demanded that Neon stay out of the fight between them…but Yang did not adhere to his wishes. The barrage from the blonde-bombshell was headed straight for him.

"Flynt! Get out of…!"

Her warning was too late; the young man scarcely had time to spin around before the rounds impacted his quartet dead center. The readout above notated that, coupled with the use of his semblance, his aura had dropped into the red…entirely depleted as his clones merged back into the original. Flynt was thrown onto a nearby lava crack bubbling with activity.

"Look out!" Weiss cried out, noticing his non-existent aura. With a leap she dove on top of Flynt, rolling him over so that she was beneath him…just as the lava surge exploded upward. She had no time to form a glyph.

"Oh my Peter!" Dr. Oobleck called out over the intercom. "Ms. Schnee has taken a tremendous blow for Mr. Coal mere seconds after his aura was depleted!"

"Our readings confirm her aura has also entered the red, but what AMAZING sportsmanship Bartholomew!" Professor Port added. "With that selfless act we are down to one on one!"

Neon turned her attention back to Yang, drawing a second pair of nunchucks, these ones were bright yellow and crackling with electricity.

"Who's angry now?" Yang asked with a smirk, the red of her eyes flaring.

Neon charged her position, nunchucks twirling around her, a rainbow exploded into existence behind her as she activated her semblance full throttle. Yang crouched down, acting as if she were prepared to take her attack head on. At the last possible moment Yang ducked under Neon's attack and dove to the side, the rollerblading fighter had not seen that when Yang shattered the ice block on her foot earlier she had dented the pavement.

"Eep," Neon squeaked, tears squeezing past as her skates caught on the crack…sending her flying through the air.

With a satisfying grunt Yang fired a standard Ember Celica round…it was all she needed. Neon Katt seemed to explode into a shower of fireworks as the blow connected, the buzzer sounding an end to the match seconds after.

Yang did not hesitate, as soon as the match was called she spun, her face contorting with worry as she rushed to the other side of the field.

"Weiss!" She called out, looking for her wounded teammate. She soon found that her worry was unnecessary as Weiss was already being looked over…cradled in the arms of Flynt Coal. They were both covered with soot from head to toe…her dress and his suit utterly ruined. His fedora was tattered and forgotten off to the side.

"Why did you do that Schnee?" He demanded as she coughed, plumes of smoke escaping her mouth with each hack.

"You…might have been…hurt," she continued to cough through her explanation.

"That was…gutsy," he smiled, realizing perhaps he should have listened to Esmerelda and held off his judgement of her for a little while. "I dig it…can you stand?"

Weiss attempted to pull herself up, smiling at Yang to show she was alright. Stumbling slightly she was caught by Flynt who put an arm around her to help Weiss stay on her feet.

"We lost, we lost, we lost?" Neon asked over and over again as she slowly drifted over to them…Weiss thought she was about to cry for a moment. "That…was….AMAZING!" Her somber disposition shattered instantly to be replaced with unrestrained joy and enthusiasm. "You guys were SUPER CRAZY AWESOME! We should definitely party together sometime after the festival! Right Flynt?"

Flynt just glanced at his incorrigible teammate, giving her a single nod of approval.

"Sorry Yang…I may not be singing for a little while."

"That's too bad," Flynt was the one to reply as Ruby and Blake rushed over to congratulate their friends and ensure their safety. "I get the feeling hearing you would have been the highlight of the festival." Despite his previous assessment, Flynt could not help but think how pretty Weiss looked when her name wasn't taken into account.

 **Beacon Tower…**

Ozpin, Winter, Ms. Goodwitch, General Ironwood, Qrow, Pyrrha and Horatio were all standing in the Beacon Tower main elevator. Each of them suddenly realized how small the compartment was in the absolute silence.

The older huntsman and huntresses had invited the two into the elevator advising what they needed to know would be shown to them. As soon as the doors closed Ozpin and Ironwood had inserted identical keys, causing it to move without a single button press.

"Um…sir," Horatio asked as the doors closed. "How can I be this…Guardian? I'm nobody special."

"That is not correct Mr. Soplar," Ozpin explained. "The Guardian has been a protector of the Maidens for thousands of years. There has only ever been a single Guardian each generation…as a result they usually find and protect the first Maiden they encounter, seldom have they ever come across more in a one lifetime."

The elevator lurched as it reached the bottom, the teachers and students filed out one by one.

The 'Vault' as Ozpin had called it was enormous. A pale green room filled with pillars stretched out before them. Horatio and Pyrrha could not help but wonder why it was so poorly lit. The area appeared empty save for a series of machines at the far end and another hallway crossing perpendicular to the one they now walked.

"I don't understand," it was Pyrrha's turn to ask questions. "You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?"

"The Maidens have existed for thousands of years," Ms. Goodwitch explained. "But much like in nature…seasons change and no two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto the power forever."

"So…how does the power choose?" Horatio had never seen Pyrrha look so uncertain and confused.

"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules."

"Qrow!" Winter snapped.

"Hey don't get mad cause I'm right," he scowled and continued walking forward. With the way he had his hands in his pockets and his back hunched forward Horatio thought he looked like he was pouting.

"At first," Glynda continued. "The only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women, as the Guardianship is to men. But…as time went on it was discovered that the selection process was much more…intimate."

"Intimate?" Both Horatio and Pyrrha repeated.

"As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies the one who was in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power."

"Unless it's a dude or some old hag, then the power goes to someone random and our job gets a lot harder."

"If that's just for Maidens, how can you tell who the Guardian is?" Horatio sheepishly interrupted.

"At least their method is simple."

"For once Qrow's assessment is accurate…," Winter answered this question. "The Guardianship is passed on from father to son hereditarily similar to my family. The difference being it seems to cause a predisposition for the first-born to always be a boy. As far as we can tell the line of Guardians has been unbroken all this time."

"You're…saying my dad…"

"Was the last Guardian…yes," Ironwood answered. "Though we had no idea until you enrolled at Beacon."

Horatio was now even more confused. "But…how could you not know if the Guardians have been helping you for thousands of years?"

Ozpin sighed; clearly he did not want to talk about it. "One of my…predecessors and a past Guardian had some, shall we say, disagreements. As a result he left our ranks and went into hiding; no Guardian has been actively working with us for almost a century."

 _This is insanity_

"But…he was killed on a village raid by Grimm when I was little…how?"

"We need not visit the details."

"Yes…yes we do!" Horatio raised his voice more than he should have echoing in the massive chamber.

"The powers are passed on," it was Ironwood who explained. "But due to the departure of the past Guardian the knowledge of the exact time frame for which this happens was likely lost to them. Only a single Guardian can exist…so when a son is born the powers pass…but not right away. From what we've determined, they transfer automatically regardless of proximity either at the father's death…or on the child's fifth Birthday."

"That's right kid," Qrow interrupted. "I was with Hattori towards the end…couldn't stop going on about missing your celebration."

Horatio turned to Qrow. "You knew him?"

"Bingo," he took a quick swig from his flask. "I got there too late to help…barely caught sight of the one that did him in before it escaped…it was big. I'd never even seen him take a scratch before."

 _This is a nightmare…_

"Did my Mom know all this?"

Even Qrow didn't want to touch that subject.

"It's a little late for silence!"

"Your Mother," Ozpin started, removing his glasses with a sigh. "Mariemaia was not her real name. Her real name was Magnolia…she is a Maiden...the Spring Maiden specifically."

Horatio felt his chest turn to ice, even Pyrrha noticed as she placed a hand on his back reassuringly.

"Your resemblance to her, coupled with your father's strength, is why I suspected you may be the Guardian initially," Ozpin explained. "Your performance at the school dance solidified my belief…'Waltz to a Shattered Moon' was one of Magnolia's favorite routines."

Horatio was still focusing on Ozpin's previous choice in words. "IS the Spring Maiden? Don't you mean…was?"

"No…I do not," Ozpin exhaled. "When I started suspecting you might be the Guardian we did some digging…metaphorically and literally."

Horatio swallowed hard, praying Ozpin wasn't implying what he was.

"Your Mother's coffin was empty, I do not know where she is or if she is still alive now…but she did not die of an illness ten years ago. There were several conspirators we located who had worked with her to ensure all thought she died while in actuality...she fled."

 _She fled...from both of us,_ Ozpin sighed, awaiting Horatio's reaction, silently wishing he had watched over the young Spring Maiden all those years ago. No doubt it was her secret marriage to Hattori and pregnancy with Horatio that had caused her to show up less and less to her training at Haven before finally vanishing. To think she had fled to Mistral under a pseudonym.

"You…you dug up her grave!?" Horatio reached out to Ozpin with anger burning in his crimson eyes but was grabbed at the last minute by Qrow.

"If you want to be mad at anyone I am your man," he admitted, recalling the mission Ozpin had asked of him before his return to Beacon. "But it was empty…nothing in there but rocks. Your Mother may still be alive!"

"She's…alive?" Horatio's anger subsided at those words. "But…why would she run like that?"

"The same reason we are telling you now rather than waiting for graduation," Qrow explained, looking at Pyrrha as the answer pertained to her as well. "I don't know if you've noticed but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high, Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent and it's not gonna be much longer before this peace we've all been enjoying so much goes out the window. Knowing Magnolia she probably thought the further she got from you the safer you'd be."

"You're not talking about a war?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not a war between nations," Ironwood explained as they entered his area of expertise.

"We can fill you in on the details when we know you're with us," Qrow still looked like he was sulking. "For now all you need to know is that one of the Maiden's was attacked and for the first time in history part of her power was stolen."

They finally reached the machinery that had been barely visible from the elevator. Now that they were close it was obviously a large computer with a pod of some sort flanking the left and right. The right pod was powered down and empty…the left was not.

In the pod a young woman slept visible through a glass window. She had short brown hair, dark tanned skin and what looked like some form of scar or discoloration on the left half of her face. She was wrapped in medical bandages across her chest and a white skirt leaving her midriff bare, just from looking she appeared to be sleeping.

 _It's not her,_ Horatio sighed upon seeing the woman. He'd half expected it to be his mother but she was much too young. If she was still alive his mother would be past 40, the girl in the pod couldn't have been older than 25.

"Is that…?" Pyrrha started to ask.

"The current Fall Maiden…Amber."

"She's still…alive."

"For now," Ironwood explained. "We are using state of the art Atlas Technology to keep her stable but there is a lot about this situation that is unprecedented. We don't know what will happen if…when she passes." He corrected.

"Wont…her powers just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

"Look who's been listening!" Qrow shouted as if he was exasperated. "She IS smart," he whispered to Ozpin though clearly loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Must you be such an as…?" Horatio started, fed up with how he had been acting. _How does Ruby look up to this guy?_

"Under NORMAL circumstance," Ironwood interrupted, shouting his words to stress silence. "Yes, but this is a delicate situation, it's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be of their attacker." He sighed as he looked at Amber's pod. "To make matters worse…no one's ever seen the power split like this before. For all we know it will seek out its other half."

"Her assailant…" Pyrrha answered ominously.

Ozpin turned to face the two of them. "And that would not bode well…for any of us."

"If all of this is true…why keep it secret? If this girl is so important and we truly are on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?" Horatio nodded alongside her in agreement.

"From what we understand it used to be common knowledge," Ms. Goodwitch was clearly trying to be more tactful than her colleague.

"How do you think legends and Fairy Tales get started? Qrow was taking another drink from his flask. "Even the craziest ones come from somewhere."

"Our group was founded alongside one of the earliest Guardians in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens. Those hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength. One Guardian just…wasn't enough."

"And as you can imagine the ones who succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to have unimaginable power. More than once past Guardians had to go against their oath to protect them…the situations weren't pretty."

"And so this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens and Guardian from the public eye." Ironwood sighed. "Allowing their existence to fade away into legend."

"The things we are telling you go against hundreds of years of recorded human history, religion…no one would want to believe us…it would cause an uproar."

 _Historical fiction or non-fiction._ Horatio thought solemnly before speaking up. "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it…it only goes against RECORDED history because YOU removed the records!"

"It would cause a panic," Ozpin stressed. "And we all know what that would bring clawing to our Kingdom's walls…."

 _It always comes back to the Grimm..._ Horatio held his tongue.

"Which is why we would like you…"

"I'll do it," Pyrrha answered. "If you believe this will help humanity…then I will become your Fall Maiden."

"Pyrrha…" Horatio started. He knew she wanted to save the world…but to just jump into it like that…

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Ozpin lowered his eyes guiltily. "Given Amber's condition you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However General Ironwood believes he has a solution." He motioned to the General to continue.

"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works, what it's made of…how it can be used."

 _I don't like where this is going._

"We've made significant strides and we believe we've found a way to capture it…"

"Capture it and cram it into something else." Qrow responded as tactless as ever. "Or in your case…"

"That's…" Horatio started.

"Classified," Ironwood continued.

"WRONG!" Pyrrha finished.

"The feeling is mutual," Ms. Goodwitch remarked, glaring daggers at Ironwood for a moment, clearly this was a source of division between them. "But desperate times call for desperate measures. We can't transfer Amber's powers to you…but we can give you what those powers are bound to. This would also involve an answer from Mr. Soplar as well."

"Why me?"

"You are the Guardian; if Ms. Nikos is to become the Fall Maiden…she will need you. The two of you will train to master your talents as soon as possible...beyond Beacon."

"Beyond Beacon?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

"Yes…regrettably the curriculum and facilities here are…insufficient for what you will face. Know that if you agree…you will have to leave it, and all you know here behind."

"But how can you be so certain I am the Guardian," Horatio countered. If he had to leave everything, his friends…his team _…Cinder._ Pyrrha was thinking the same for Jaune and her team."All the legend says is that he has 'strength and fortitude' but how can that…?"

Qrow leapt forward, his sword drawn, in a flash he brought it down toward Horatio's throat as hard as he could. He had no time to defend, the sword crashed down against his bare neck as the force of its momentum blew a powerful gust through the silent hall. Horatio had not budged an inch and showed no sign of injury though his face was in utter shock. His semblance had kicked to its full potential by instinct at the threat to his life.

"Can't say there are any first year students here who can do that," Qrow remarked as he returned his weapon to his back. "Before the day he died Hattori was the strongest Huntsman I ever knew…no offense but he hid his freakish durability better than you. He actually used a weapon and armor for one thing."

"But…to just take someone's aura…their soul and merge it with another…"

"I advise you both to think hard on this matter," Ozpin stressed once more, though with a softer tone than before. "But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over…we will need your answer."

Pyrrha just stared into Amber's sleeping face; their reflections overlapping through the window in an eerie display making it appear that the two were now one. Pyrrha's eyes had lost the joy and enthusiasm of the last year.

"Mr. Soplar," Ozpin asked him at length as he awaited them at the elevator. "Did you…feel anything when you first looked at Amber?"

Horatio looked at him puzzled. "I'm…not sure what you mean sir."

"It's just part of the legend…the Guardian can sense a Maiden at first sight, that when he sees her for the first time he will feel a powerful elation in his chest which gives away her presence. Did you feel anything like that?"

Horatio glanced back over at Amber's pod, he certainly felt something for the poor girl…this Fall Maiden doomed to die, but elation? It was anything but.

"No sir, nothing like that…perhaps that was just another changed part of the legend? I've certainly never seen a Maiden before in my life."

 **Team CRMS…**

"She was right here beneath our feet…the WHOLE time," Cinder mused at length. With the doubles rounds concluded and time before the finals she was reading over Ironwood's files in addition to hearing every word of Ozpin's little band. "So that is what 'Project Titan' is all about."

"So what is this…Guardian?" Emerald asked, trying to lean over to get a good look at Cinder's scroll. She had never heard of it.

"A previous nuisance," she explained vaguely. Cinder had been educated on all aspects of the Maiden's legend, the verse of the Guardian included. Supposedly their kind hadn't been active in some time and was unlikely to be a threat. Horatio had messaged her scroll apologizing for how long he'd been gone and missing both matches…he had asked to meet her the following day at the festival.

 _And now we know where Amber went to ground…their security is pathetic, I could just walk right in and…_

Cinder drove such thoughts from her mind with great effort. She knew full well the consequences of risking the grand plan for her own desires. Of course that didn't mean she had to delay her trip to the "Vault" once their plans had commenced. The burning hunger resurfaced inside her again at the thought of reclaiming what was rightfully hers. She had nearly forgotten about the feeling...it had been so distant while she was with…

 _Not only have I found the Guardian…but for it to be HIM…of all people. It was almost like…like…_

It was almost like destiny. According to the verse of the Guardian he would be drawn to the first Maiden he met…was that all this was, the pull of an outside force drawing him to her? Or did he truly care about the girl he had painted by the cliffside? Cinder could not decide which explanation she preferred…and that was perhaps the most unsettling part to her.

"Does it…change anything?"

 _Everything._

"No, Mercury will stay the course with the Xiao Long girl. Have Adam and the White Fang on standby, the spark of the endgame can come any day now. Once the fighting starts Horatio will either join us…or share their fate."

Emerald's courage spiked in that moment, she dared to lay a comforting hand on Cinder's shoulder. "Are…you sure?"

Cinder looked at her for a moment of contemplation before replying calmly. No matter the answer, Emerald knew that Horatio had left an impression on her…the last time she'd dared to speak out Cinder had struck her across the face. In this moment, however...the woman she trusted more than anything almost looked appreciative someone had at least asked.

"Yes."

 **The doubles round has concluded…the finalists chosen for the final stretch ahead. Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	30. A Last Peaceful Sunrise Before the Fall

**Chapter 30 and over 9000 views! To celebrate I decided to update a bit early this week. Once again a big thank you to everyone reading this story, including all the guests reviewing who I cannot respond to…it means a lot to see you all enjoying my tale! I would reply to your comments if I could lol :)**

 **The doubles round has ended, a single day remains before the finals kick into full swing. Our heroes awake to a final peaceful sunrise before the fall…**

"Does it have to be so tight?" Horatio stressed as Esmerelda pulled another strap. His dedication to dressing in the Vale knight costume on their days off was impressive considering he required assistance just to get into it.

"Any looser and it'll fall right off…you want to look your best for her, correct?"

Horatio grumbled as he allowed her to continue, taking a purposefully loud slurp of his prune juice.

Team HERO had nearly finished their breakfast; each were sitting with legs crossed around the table in their room. The others had been worried upon waking that morning…Horatio was still asleep…the first time he had not awoken prior to the rest. Despite his exhausted visage he had assured them he was alright.

"Remember, no mercy for the enemy," Olivia reminded him. She had been even more bubbly than usual…no doubt in an attempt to cheer up their oddly solemn leader. "Mercury may be facing you in the finals, but show no quarter just because of his captivating leader…love must come second! The same goes for Yang!" She threw an emphasizing glare Roland's way, ensuring he was rooting for their Captain. The finals would begin the next day…for all they knew Horatio could be the first contender.

Roland chuckled at her enthusiasm; he had finished first and was leaning back in his spot with his hands behind his head already in costume. They had a full schedule ahead of them, after breakfast they'd be hitting every booth, event, exhibition and stand they could find. They had already put together which each of them would hit and regale each other with how it went when they met back up at night.

"There," Esmerelda announced as she clasped the last piece into place. "Fit to save the kingdom," her work done she draped her shoulder cloak on and fastened it tight.

"Thanks," Horatio replied quietly. "I'll see you guys tonight." He hopped to his feet, prepared to head out the door.

"Oooh, wait for me," Olivia called out, gulping the last of her tea before slamming down the empty glass. "Are you going to CRMS' dorm first? Ray and I are having a girl's day out…we can go together!"

Horatio held the door open for her with a bow and a smile. Olivia giggled and curtsied in her purple gown, hooking arms they strolled down the hall.

"Did Horatio seem down to you?" Esmerelda asked once she was certain they were far enough away.

"Yea…definitely off at the very least," he confirmed with a whisper. "He hasn't let me sleep in since we started at Beacon!"

Esmerelda looked at him deep in thought as she took another taste of coffee…she preferred to take her time and cherish each sip.

"Perhaps…something happened with Cinder? Or maybe he is still shaken after the fight…that was a close call with Sun. If it's the former I doubt he'd tell any of us, perhaps you could ask him?"

"Why me?" Roland asked, feeling embarrassed if he'd need to discuss Horatio's love life.

"Well, you are in a relationship with Yang…if it is…love related perhaps he would open up to you. I…do not have such experience."

"Still not believing you on that last part," Roland looked at her suspiciously. "Didn't you say you grew up in Menagerie? How in the world did you not have like…a line of guys asking you out?"

 _Not a line…just one._

"I just, never looked for that sort of thing before," she lied, taking another sip.

"It's not for everyone," Roland replied reassuringly. "I probably wouldn't have so soon had I not met Yang…she's just…perfect ya know?"

Esmerelda sighed again, remembering the feelings Roland and Horatio were no doubt having now. If only young love could last more often.

"That she is…I wish you both dozens of healthy children."

Roland's face exploded red, steam escaping his ears as Esmerelda took another sip of her coffee…hoping he didn't notice she had already finished and was using it to conceal her stifled laugh.

 **Team JNPR Dormitory…**

Pyrrha had donned the last of her armor, despite having the day off from competitions she didn't feel like dressing in normal street attire, her armor just felt right. She had remained in the room while her team went out for breakfast…she wasn't hungry. All she could think about was what she had learned…and what it meant for her future.

"Wake up lazy butt!" Nora burst into the room causing her to jump. She had an impressive stack of pancakes in one hand. "You'll need all your strength for tomorrow!"

Pyrrha's eyes shot wide at how many pancakes she had, even at her hungriest she could not possibly have eaten so many.

"That is…appreciated," she replied hesitantly, slowly sliding the plate away from her as far as the table near her bed would allow.

"The boys will be back soon," Nora continued, seemingly oblivious to Pyrrha's avoidance of her meal. "I am going to win SOOOO many prizes for Ren he won't know what to do with em all!"

Nora took note of Pyrrha's glum expression.

 _Oof, something's up…time to turn up the ol' charm._

"You want to have a contest?" She stuck her face directly in front of the red-headed Spartan's. "I'll bet I can win more prizes for Ren than Jaune can for you! Winner owes the other first dibs at the breakfast buffet for the next semester!"

"I…wasn't planning on asking him to…"

"Pffft, nonsense!" Nora brushed off her statement. "Festivals are all about winning prizes for others. It's practically a requirement…trust me…get him a few fluffy companions with a balloon or two and you'll feel right as rain. I am sure Jaune wants to win you some stuff…he's that kind of guy."

"I still cannot believe how well it's gone," Pyrrha sighed. "I know I felt a connection with him when I first arrived at Beacon…but I never thought in my wildest dreams…"

"That he'd actually not only notice but actually make a move?" Nora finished with a laugh. "Neither did I! I swear the only reason it got through his dense skull is because you two were crammed together tighter than two peas in a pod behind that radiator for twenty minutes!

Pyrrha looked up, blushing at the memory of the two being trapped together when Horatio had confronted Cardin, all the while smiling at the incorruptible rainbow perpetually over Nora's head. If she had to leave Beacon...would Jaune still be there when she returned?

"See…right as r….Ren!"

The door to their room had opened, the black-haired ninja the first to step in. In an instant Nora seized his hand and started to pull him back outside.

"Come on…the festival awaits!"

"But…" Ren's arguments were lost as he was dragged far into the distance. Jaune had been behind him, shaking his head chuckling at his teammate's situation.

"Are you ready Pyrrha?" He asked, his tone always soft and gentle, clearly not rushing her in the slightest as he could wait for her as long as she needed. "If we are lucky maybe NDGO will pick us for the finale this time.

"That," Pyrrha started as she rose to her feet. "Sounds lovely."

 **Vytal Festival…**

"Aaaannndddd….FIRE!"

Ruby and Olivia fired their popgun rifles, striking each target dead center with absolute precision. The wooden Grimm statuettes fell over in a heap.

"Aaanndd two winners," the man behind the stall announced. He handed the two statues to the girls…the latest in a long line of prizes.

"Roland is going to LOVE these," Olivia jumped for joy. "That's a limited edition Beowolf where they made only four fingers instead of five…he eats this stuff up!"

Ray was sitting behind them, enjoying the shade of her black and white umbrella. Beside her sat a bright pink teddy bear with a black top hat…one of the previous prizes that Olivia had claimed and given to her. No matter how much the member of team CRMS shook her head Olivia would not take no for an answer, still feeling she owed a debt for the lifesaving maneuver the mute girl had performed in Forever Fall that no amount of fluffy presents could fill.

"Let's see," Ruby scanned over the mountains of prizes adorning the stall. Despite their numerous winnings they did not seem to be running low. "We got a bear for Ray, model for Roland, miniature gold tower for Ezzy...I wonder if Blake would want a new bow…"

On the high shelf was a beautiful silver ribbon, the height and distance signifying it as one of the more valuable prizes. The red-hooded huntress narrowed her eyes at it…treating the strip of cloth as if it were an oncoming foe.

"New challenger…" the stall master called out. Most of the other competitors had fled upon Ruby and Olivia taking their seats, yet as Olivia took her leave to count the prizes another familiar face appeared and claimed her place.

"Cam!?" Olivia asked, recognizing the young man as she stepped away from the stall. She jumped a foot upon realizing Penny had emerged behind her, smiling wide as always.

"Sorry Ruby," he apologized, cocking the popgun rifle in his hands menacingly. "But I'm afraid that prize…is mine."

"Is that so…?" Ruby cocked her gun as well despite the fact she had already done so. She stared daggers at him as threateningly as she could…which ended up being more cute than intimidating.

Olivia had no drive to come between them and remained out of it, Penny looked very worried.

"Oh my, I do believe this violent competitive streak is all my fault."

"What did you do?" Olivia asked, horrified that Penny could have done anything nefarious.

"I discovered that Cam wanted to win me prizes…so I thought I would save him the trouble and won each of the events we've participated in today so that he didn't have to. I thought he would be pleased...but instead it seems to have had the opposite of the intended outcome."

Olivia chuckled internally but didn't dare laugh at the innocent girl. "That's because he wanted to be the one to get the gift silly. "He didn't just want you to have stuff…he wanted to be the one to win it FOR you."

"Oh my," Penny uttered again. She was acting as if she'd ruined everything.

"It's not the end of the world…just…let him take the lead once or twice. You might like it."

Penny nodded again and again, acting as if she were memorizing every word Olivia spoke.

"I will take that into account Ms. Ramus!"

"You can call me Olivia, Penny."

Ruby took aim, at the bell she fired at the ribbon dead center before Cam could even narrow his vision down the barrel. The shot flew true, striking the stand holding the bow. The prize shook and teetered…but did not fall.

"What?" Ruby called out in frustration. "That was a perfect shot!"

The stall master just shrugged; if it didn't fall…it wasn't won.

"Thank you Ruby," Cam replied, speaking slowly as he continued adjusting his aim. "Clearly that one is weighted to prevent easy pickings. Just because…you can hit something dead center…doesn't make it the best option."

The calculations ran through Cameron's mind, the breeze…based on the amount the stand shook at Ruby's shot approximately how much it weighed and where the weight was centered. He may not be the best fighter or fastest draw with a gun…but he could outthink every other member of his team…given enough time.

After a few moments, just before the stall master was about to ask him to hurry, he pulled the trigger. The rubber bullet soared through the air aimed lower than Ruby's…the shot struck the bottom right corner of the stand, causing it to jerk hard in that direction. The bow sat there having seemingly bested both of them; however after a brief second they could tell it was very slowly listing towards the right…the weight of the stand itself now carrying it over the perch. After only a few seconds the stand toppled, falling to the ground with a thud.

"Winner," the stall master announced, retrieving the fallen ribbon for him.

"Sorry Ruby," Cam apologized as the silver-eyed girl continued to stare slack jawed at what had just happened. "If I just wanted it for myself you could've had it. In this case…it's for a higher calling."

As Cameron accepted the prize he spun on his heels, taking it up to Penny who had placed her hands on her cheeks clearly overjoyed at the present.

"That is…so sweet," Olivia gushed as Cameron started tying the new bow into place.

"Yea, hehe, sweet," Ruby agreed. Despite her trepidation around how Cameron would react…the scene was utterly genuine. "Got any other plans for the day?"

Olivia glanced over her pile of winnings…first things first was finding some bags to carry them all. "I think Ray wanted to look over the Amity Coliseum while the crowds are scarce…the technology it must use to remain floating like that is just….." Olivia let out a short squeal, emphasizing how excited she was that such marvels were a reality in their time.

"How fast do you think it can go at maximum speed?"

"I guess it would depend on how many people are in it…"

Ray leaned back in her seat, it was clear she would need to wait before they headed over to the coliseum. Reaching over, she picked up the pink teddy bear at her side, playfully shaking it back and forth with a smile on her face to pass the time…the top hat reminding her of someone she hadn't seen that day who surely missed her.

 **Not Far…**

They certainly stood out, heads were turned as they passed by but the couple ignored them as they wandered the festival grounds. Horatio walked along, his relatively average build exaggerated by the large mock suit of armor he now wore. His escort, Cinder Fall had a modified version of the dress she had worn for the school dance. The top was relatively unchanged, leaving her shoulders and back bare, however gold designs ran down its length hugging her frame tight. She had donned elbow-length red gloves with gold trim; together some thought they might be attending NDGO's latest performance again. Her ensemble was completed by a masquerade mask built from the same black glass as her slippers she held with a stick to put on or remove at a moment's notice.

"We seem…quite popular milady," Horatio remarked. Despite how conflicted he felt in regards to the previous day's revelations he did not want her to notice. His habit of speaking melodramatically seemed effective for covering his uncertainties.

Cinder internally groaned at his over the top words but didn't say anything, it was amusing and somewhat…charming in a way. They had decided to spend a lazy day seeing the sights…there was no harm in it and took her mind off the sleeping Maiden in the tower. Cinder surmised if she had nothing to occupy her thoughts she'd give in and seek to claim what was hers…and they couldn't have that…not yet.

"Enjoying the day kid?"

Cinder froze at the voice unmistakable as it was. From behind a stall ahead stepped Qrow Branwen, hands still in his pockets and a tooth pick in his mouth. Cinder quickly yet subtly raised the mask to her face, turning away as if to look over the nearby stand. Emerald had assured them that he should not recognize her face, but she could take no chances.

"Yes…Mr. Branwen," Horatio answered hesitantly. How the older huntsman could be so calm after all that was said the previous day was a mystery…no doubt he had help from the contents of his flask. Knowing that he was the one who had dug up his mother's grave without knowing for certain she wouldn't be inside made Horatio feel uneasy around him.

"That's good to hear…so who's the lucky lady?" He turned to Cinder, giving her his full attention.

"This…"

"Lady Cinder Fall, at your service," she interrupted, gracefully curtsying to Qrow all the while keeping her mask up.

 _She's in character!_ Horatio lit up inside for the first time that day as he realized she had added a southern Mistral accent to her voice. He decided to go with it, deepening his own.

"My lady and I were out to see the sights good huntsman," he continued, laying it on thick. "Prithee what brings you to these fair merriments?"

The look on Qrow's face was comical, having raised an eyebrow in absolute confusion as to how they were speaking. Nonchalantly he glanced at his flask as if contemplating if it was the one responsible for their behavior. Deciding otherwise, he took a quick swig…clearly believing he needed it.

"Just looking for some familiar faces to pass the time," he explained. "Trying to find my precocious nieces and an Ice Queen or two."

"Oh," Horatio's memory sparked at the names. "I am aware that my compatriot Ms. Olivia was going to meet up with the young Ruby Rose at the shooting gallery…her kin Ms. Yang was out with her beloved somewhere alongside Blake and Sun…and the Lady Schnee is with her sister visiting the musical festivities."

"It's back that way." Cinder motioned in the direction Qrow had just come from before stepping closer to and linking her arm tighter with Horatio's.

Qrow glanced at the two and back the way she had pointed, Cinder almost held her breath at the realization he was looking over her dress. Could he recognize the similar patterns to the one she'd worn back when he had interrupted their battle with Amber? Almost suspiciously he walked around…inspecting them…finally getting a good look at Cinder's back.

Her back was pristine, not a mark or blemish upon it, to Qrow's eyes it was unmarked and smooth.

 _Fine, fine,_ he muttered in his head at length. _Third wheel…got it._

"Well then…that's the way I'll be," he announced. "See ya kids…don't do anything I wouldn't!"

Qrow Branwen turned to leave without any idea that the amber eyes continued to pierce daggers at him past the glass mask long after he was out of sight.

"Hey there you two!" A familiar voice called out, catching their attention.

"Emerald! Hi!" Horatio replied, breaking his irregular speech patterns as the green-haired fighter walked up after Qrow had disappeared into the crowd. From the look of it she'd been perusing the stalls before seeing them. "Is Mercury about too?"

"Nah, Mr. Serious is busy focusing on tomorrow. You know what they say…no rest for the wicked. You two having fun?"

Cinder narrowed her eyes at Emerald, unamused with the wordplay her teammate had clearly found very clever. Despite Emerald's disdain for the overly cheerful nature of the students she played the part of being one well. She breathed a sigh of relief that her disciple had arrived when she did…no doubt being responsible for the old bird not spotting the tattoo upon her back. She decided Emerald should stay nearby in case he returned.

"Of course we are," Cinder replied, patting Horatio's hand interlocked with hers. "Just a…lazy afternoon, care to join us?"

"O-of course!" Emerald exclaimed, coughing a few times to recompose herself to hide her legitimate joy at the offer. "You should totally try out the stall around the corner." "They have a strength competition going on…prizes offered. I would try but, you know." She threw her hands up. "I probably wouldn't measure up."

"That sounds like an enjoyable diversion," Cinder muttered, leaning over to Horatio to see if he felt the same.

"I…" He hesitated, the memory of his overuse the previous day still fresh. Despite that, the expecting look on her face was too much. "I suppose I can give it a shot."

As Emerald had assured, a small group had gathered around a stall. Horatio recognized Morrigan Azura of team ALMD; she had a small table for an arm wrestling competition. From the look of it she had it set up to pay to play and winner takes the pot. The smaller crowd was no doubt due to the sizable stack of lien she had accumulated. Morrigan was currently sitting face to face against Yatsuhashi of Team CFVY, both contorting their faces in great effort as they pushed against one another.

"You got this!" Coco called out behind him. The competition was quite unofficial, both sides having their fans standing directly behind them. Coco was even patting his shoulders as they continued. "Come on!"

Morrigan's teammates, fans and fellow students from Vacuo shouted similar calls of praise. Horatio, Cinder and Emerald slipped into the festivities barely noticed among the cheers and bets.

Horatio's jaw dropped as the unthinkable happened…Yatsuhashi…the largest person he'd ever met started to lose ground. The moment he gave in even slightly it was over. Morrigan slammed his fist down with a final grunt of effort...the smudge mark on the challenger side of the board denting slightly deeper. Morrigan's side was untouched.

Yatsuhashi groaned as the Faunus girl released his hand in victory, throwing her own up to the roar of her fans, her crocodile tail whipping back and forth. Coco approached from behind with a reassuring pat for the gentle giant of Team CFVY.

"Are there no other challengers?" She called out. As she did so many in the crowd shirked back sheepishly, if even Yatsuhashi couldn't match her extraordinary strength then who could hope to…?"

"He will challenge you!" Cinder's voice rang out over the ensuing silence as she held up Horatio's hand and motioned him forward.

Morrigan's smile widened at spotting her new opponent.

"I heard about your fight…I was hoping to meet you," she took a seat, nodding her head politely in greeting. "Whenever you are ready," she motioned for him to sit across from her, prepared to get started.

Horatio inhaled before stepping up; internally wishing he had done more to accumulate some kinetic energy before doing so. He took heavy awkward steps, hoping to get what he could before he'd have to sit still.

"Don't be so nervous," Cinder cooed behind him. "Just…do your best."

Cinder slapped him on the back hard, pushing him forward. To those around it appeared to be a playful gesture to give him some confidence…but Horatio had been the one on the receiving end of it. The blow had been incredibly strong…were it not for his semblance it may have caused serious injury…she truly DID understand his powers. He felt a surge of strength…now fully prepared for the competition as he channeled it to his arms.

"Your girlfriend seems to have some confidence in you," Morrigan chuckled.

"She's...the literal best," Horatio retorted as he took a seat. His hand seemed laughably smaller than Morrigan's…hers closing around his almost entirely.

Durian placed his hand over both of theirs, acting as the official for the match. The two stared at each other, muscles tensed for the signal to begin…Horatio attempted to look intimidating which was difficult considering Morrigan had a good foot at least over him.

"And…BEGIN!" He exclaimed, releasing his hold on them.

The two instantly started grunting with effort; despite the considerable energy Cinder had given him…the match was quite evenly matched. Even Coco and Yatsuhashi had lingered to root for their classmate. No matter what each of them did, the competition appeared to be a deadlock.

"He's lasting longer than I did," Yatsuhashi complimented.

"But can he keep going?" Coco asked, remembering how his speed had faded in her match over time. Horatio did appear to be struggling more the longer the match went on.

The other Vacuo students had come up behind Morrigan, cheering and calling for her win. More than one gave her a reassuring pat on the back to keep going, smelling blood in the water as Horatio's arm started to shake with effort to hold the crocodile-Faunus girl's at bay.

 _Well…if that's what they do…_

Cinder walked forward…the crowd seeming to part before her and stood behind him.

"Win," she whispered before giving Horatio a quick punch to his back.

Once again...a surge of energy flowed through him…how she could generate so much force from such a short distance was baffling to him. He had heard of fighters who could perform incredibly powerful punches from a mere inch away from their opponents…to think that Cinder was one of them. Horatio could feel even more energy than he did before the match started…and no one else around even suspected her motives. He had almost as much power as he had gathered during his fight with Sun…the instant Horatio realized that…the match was over.

Horatio's hand slammed backwards, Morrigan claiming another victory much to the look of shock on hers and Cinder's face. The Vacuo students leapt for joy as she won again while those of Beacon groaned in disappointment.

"Wha…" Morrigan looked on surprised. She was no novice at the competition; Horatio's grip had noticeably tightened fiercely around hers…right before slacking and going limp. It had clearly been on purpose.

"A good match," he panted, acting like he was incredibly winded. He shook his arm a few times as if it were still sore to emphasize his strain. "I am glad I didn't have to face you in the tournament. He extended his hand to her cordially; Morrigan accepted it, still disbelieving how suddenly she had won.

Horatio dropped the entry fee for the fight into the pot, linking arms with Cinder they walked off from the crowd.

"What…happened?" Cinder asked, masking the frustration bubbling in her voice. She knew full well she had given him more than enough power to win…it should have been easy.

Horatio squeezed her hand tighter…feeling as if he could tell her anything.

"I…didn't want to risk hurting her. With so much energy I could have won but…if she had resisted to the bitter end I might have broken her arm. I could already feel the pressure being exerted on her bones…it wasn't worth it. And besides, it wasn't really my strength...it was yours. I was just borrowing it."

 _He's still soft…afraid of his own limitless potential._ Cinder just reciprocated his squeeze but remained silent as they continued deeper into the festival, potential outcomes for the following days spinning in her mind.

 **Festival Music Tent…**

Winter and Weiss were sitting together near the front as the latest group bowed to the applauding audience. A large tent had been set up, allowing different groups to show off their musical talent to the crowd. The ones departing had done a classic Vale opera…it was quite soothing, even Winter was smiling serenely.

"We will be continuing after a brief intermission," the swan-Faunus holding a set of cue cards informed the audience, her wings hunched behind her as she spoke. "When we return the…Funky Coals, will be performing." She eyed her cards suspiciously as if the name was certainly a prank.

The name caught Weiss' attention, it couldn't be coincidence.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to her sister who appeared quite content with waiting in her seat until the intermission was over. She approved her departure with a simple nod.

"It was a beautiful piece wasn't it?" Esmerelda leaned in once Weiss had left. She'd been sitting nearby and did not want to interrupt their sisterly time together, but once Weiss had departed she could not resist asking Winter questions.

"It is most pleasant to listen to and was one of the pieces allowed at the Academy."

"Atlas' Academy?" Esmerelda asked further. "Where Specialists are trained? Do they accept students from other kingdoms?"

Winter opened her resting eyes, looking over at the young girl curiously. "If their skill is sufficient…why do you ask?"

Esmerelda fidgeted a little, trying to maintain her composure. If she didn't control herself she could become as giddy as Olivia in a heartbeat.

"Well…it was one of the reason's I joined Beacon. From what I heard…potential Specialists are only chosen from the highest ranked students of each academy…"

"I see," Winter looked the girl up and down, analyzing her on the spot. "You have…SOME promise, but you are correct in that only elites are accepted after graduation. Keep pushing forward…never stop…and perhaps we can speak more of it then."

Esmerelda sat up in her seat, bowing slightly at her waist. "Your consideration does me great honor."

Winter started to reciprocate the bow, only to gasp in surprise…a small black bird had swooped between them. It landed in Weiss' empty seat, waddling around slightly before looking at the two with a head tilt.

"Qrow…." Winter growled as the bird hopped onto her lap, fluttering its wings.

"I think you're right…it is a crow," Esmerelda confirmed. "You don't see many around Beacon this time of year; the little guy must be lost."

"Yes, he should probably GO HOME," Winter replied, emphasizing the last two words right to the bird's face as if it would know what she was saying.

Almost in answer the crow took off, disappearing out the open tent flap.

"Wow, it's like he understood you," Esmerelda noted as the bird vanished outside.

"You just have to know how to talk to…"

Before she could finish the bird returned, this time landing directly on Winter's head…dropping a single white rose into her hand. Her mouth just fell open as the bird hopped down, tucking its legs back to rest right on her lap as if it were nesting. Winter glanced over, Esmerelda had turned her head towards the stage, pretending not to have noticed…whistling nonchalantly to emphasize the point. The former heiress sighed as she leaned back into her chair, petting the feathers gently.

"You are too much." In response, the bird glanced at her, mouth opening before Winter seized its beak to hold it shut. "NOT…a word."

 **Backstage…**

"I thought it might be you…" Weiss smirked upon pushing aside the tarp separating the backstage from the rest of the tent.

Sure enough, Flynt Coal was the one sitting in the seat, relaxing before he would be called to the stage. He had been slouching with his fedora tilted to the side, however as soon as he spotted Weiss at the entrance he immediately sat up straight…adjusting his hat accordingly.

"Schne…Weiss," he corrected. "And here I thought there'd be no pressure to perform well today.

Weiss looked at the young man quizzically, uncertain what he meant. "I…wanted to talk to you after the match. About your father's business…I'm so sorr…"

"Hush Weiss," Flynt interrupted. "Twasn't you that did it…was your old man, though the apology is…appreciated. Is your voice any better?"

"Perfect in fact," Weiss replied after a brief hesitation at the young man's change of heart. Her aura had prevented any serious injury to her throat.

"Well…in that case," Neon Katt suddenly popped out from behind a nearby flap. Both Weiss and Flynt jumped a foot.

"Stop…doing that!" Flynt called out, gripping his chest in surprise…it was clearly not the first time she had startled him.

"Oh you know you love it," the cat-Faunus brushed off his request. "And you Ms. Heiress…if your voice is sooooo perfect, perhaps you could do us a solid to help out the performance…"

 **Outside the Music Tent…**

"Hey dudes! Over here!" Sun called out, waving down Roland and Yang. He and Blake had just made it back from a day in the sun and were ready for a little relaxation.

"Hi Sun, hi Blake!" Yang called out as she and Roland rendezvoused with their friends.

Each of them were arrayed in their causal wear save for Sun who had on the only thing he seemed to own. Yang wore the same outfit she selected for night club parties, now including the silver and lilac pendant around her neck given by Roland. The two couples had been out and about all day, with sore feet and cheerful hearts they decided to find a nice event they could kick back and relax.

The four ducked inside the nearby wide tent, thankful to find seats albeit somewhat further back thanks to a familiar face.

"You guys are lucky my team had to bail or you would have been out of luck," Coco Adel smirked behind her black shades. "No hard feelings?" The last remark was meant for Roland, recalling the savage beating she had dealt him during the team round of the tournament.

"Nothing but good ones," he reached out, high-fiving Coco with a grin. "I'll be sure to bulk up for the next tournament. Horatio has some ideas for new regimens starting next semester."

"If his strength is able to be replicated through training…you stick good and close to him," Coco advised. "I may even ask him for a few pointers….big smiles now!"

Coco produced a camera, aiming it at the two couples. Sun leaned over Blake's shoulders, grinning widely while the shy cat-Faunus gripped his hand and smiled. Yang grabbed Roland's neck, pulling him into a playful headlock from which he could only laugh as the shutter went off.

"Thanks! Velvet asked me to take some while I was out. She's been spending a lot of time with that Winchester guy…still not entirely sure I trust him…but I trust her. Apparently they got picked for the NDGO play this morning…shocker they ACTUALLY got to play the prince and princess!"

Blake let out a chuckle, remembering the bait and switch NDGO had played with Horatio and Cinder. It was too bad the festival would be over in just a few days…

"Thank you for your patience!" The cue-card girl announced as she reappeared on the stage. "There has been a slight change to the next act, The Funky Coals have been renamed the Funky Angels for the next act only…enjoy!" She let her white wings unfold completely as she concluded, eliciting several "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd.

Yang and Blake's jaws hit the floor as the curtains rose, revealing the performers. Sitting on a lone stool was Flynt Coal of Team FNKI, his instrument pressed to his lips as he played a slow mellow tune for the woman standing before the microphone.

"Weiss?" Yang blurted out as she recognized her teammate. The room went quiet as the lights dimmed and focused on the silver-haired huntress.

 _ **When…I was young, if I just closed my eyes then I could go anywhere  
Dream…of any place. Imagination set the pace and my heart was happy there…  
What a shame that you came 'round and told me…said my dreams can't come true…**_

The room had fallen silent as she continued, Flynt keeping pace with her words, the two perfectly in sync.

"You know," Yang whispered to Roland as the song continued. "I don't think I've ever actually heard the Ice Queen sing before."

Roland just shook his head; it was the first time for him too. Despite hearing what a talented singer she was he had never pictured her with such a lovely voice. Even Flynt was scarcely taking his eyes off her despite needing to concentrate on his trumpet.

 _ **Bend me, shape me, build me, break me. Why was I your fool?  
And now I'm so much stronger, I'm not yours any longer, I've got a message here for you...  
Time for you to learn…It's my turn!**_

Roland found himself tapping his feet and bobbing his head, much of the room joining in as the crowd got into the performance. In the front rows Winter could be found subtly tapping her finger to the beat unnoticed by all save a small feathered friend perched on her lap. Sun had to be contained from pulling Blake to her feet and dancing along as there was not enough room to do so in the cramped tent. He would need to wait until the Masquerade ball after the finals.

Roland was snapped out of his focus as he felt something soft brush against his shoulder. Yang had leaned over, her long mane of hair pressing into him. Gently he wrapped an arm around her, leaning into her as well.

"Flynt and Weiss make quite the team don't they?" She asked as the song drew to a close.

"No kidding," Roland replied back, slipping into deep thought.

 _Making friends of those who despised you not 24 hours earlier? Horatio definitely had the right idea…everyone deserves a chance to make a better impression._

 _ **It all begins, a chance to win  
**_ _**A dream that's been a lifetime, an endless vast uphill climb  
The day I've waited for is drawing near.**_

 **Team HERO's Portrait Stand…**

"You will love this," Horatio smiled. After Cinder had returned to her room to give what she called a final pep talk to Mercury he had reopened his stall. As soon as it was revealed he had started up again, the patrons flocked from all corners of the festival. He recognized many of them, mostly 3rd and 4th year students attending Beacon, due to the relative distance of their dorms from first years he didn't know any of them personally.

His final customer, Winter Schnee had arrived near the end of the day…apparently she was quite interested in a portrait. She sat tall and erect, not a hair or wrinkle of her uniform out of place. She had somehow convinced a black bird to perch perfectly on her shoulder. Despite a few loud commotions nearby the bird never once looked like it even considered flying away.

 _I wonder if that's hers…the black contrasts nicely against her wardrobe and pale complexion._

As with Ruby's uncle, the two did not mention the revelations of the previous day. Fortunately, Olivia had decided to join him in relaxing for the end of the day…as such they could not discuss it even if Horatio had wanted to.

"Horatio," Olivia started as he neared completion. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," he replied with a chuckle. "What would give you the idea…?"

Out of the corner of his eye he could tell Olivia was glaring at him as if to say "how oblivious do you think I am?"

"It's…nothing you need to worry about," he assured her. "Just something I need to decide."

"It…wouldn't have anything to do with potentially leaving Beacon would it?"

"What…?" Horatio paled as Winter glanced over, how did she know…?"

"Ruby told me about your study abroad programs."

Horatio breathed a sigh as he realized to what she was referring. He nodded with a smirk, she wasn't far off…it was a good enough substitute to talk about it. "I'm not a fan of decisions that force major changes…if I join these programs…I may not be able to return for a long time."

"Don't let that hold you back."

Horatio halted his painting, surprised by the speed of her reply…as if she knew the right answer.

"Your team will be here Horatio…your friends too. Wherever you may have to travel…we aren't going anywhere…do what you have to."

Team HERO's leader set down his pencils, immediately grabbing Olivia and pulling her into a warm hug...even she started blushing crimson. Winter just shook her head; glancing back and forth with the bird on her shoulder…it seemed the young man had made his choice.

"Uh…fearless leader…y-you can let go now. This is the part in all the plays where your beloved walks in and misunderstands…fearless leader…Horatio?"

 **The last day before the finals draws to a close, our heroes and friends rested and revitalized. The shadows draw in to block out their shining days of Beacon…Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	31. Pride Goeth Before the Fall

**What you've all been waiting for…the single rounds of the Vytal Tournament have begun…the shadows descend upon our Heroes and all of Beacon…**

"Aaaaand now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" Professor Port called out to a thunderous applause. The one…on…one…FINALS!"

The sun had just risen over the hills as the final days of the Vytal Tournament began. In the center of the Amity Coliseum, the chosen finalists of each advancing team now stood. Yang was first, hands resting on her hips as she drank in the cheers and was ready no matter who she had to fight first. Horatio stood beside her, scratching the back of his head as he waved awkwardly to the crowd. Cinder sat in her usual seat and returned the wave, dressed once more in her combat huntress attire.

Penny looked around, enjoying the sights, her new silver bow tied immaculately on her head while Mercury simply relaxed, not seeming to be overly enthusiastic about the opening ceremonies. Pyrrha was last in line, looking at the floor while rubbing her arm…unbeknownst to the rest she was still conflicted and contemplating her future decision.

"Barty! Why don't you explain the rules?"

"Uhh, it's quite simple really Peter," Oobleck started at his usual hyper-speed pace of talking. "Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately BEFORE the match takes place."

"And much like any good hunt, there will be zero time to prepare."

"Ah, yes yes…now let's see who our first match will be!"

The random generator began to spin, every spectator both in the stadium and around the world looked on with bated breaths…eager to see who the first combatants would be. After several moments of near-complete silence the roulette started to slow, the first two selected.

"Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black!"

"Whooo! Break a leg sis!" Ruby called out from her seat. Members of the finalist's teams were given a special row close to the front of the arena. Ruby had glued herself to her spot at first sight as they were red cushioned high back seats compared to the smaller, more cramped ones in the stands. She had practically melted into it in a matter of seconds.

Horatio sighed in relief, thankful he had not been chosen first.

"Good luck," he whispered to Yang while marching past her to the side seating.

Yang and Mercury turned to face each other, both with a smile as if they were about to have the time of their lives. No one noticed Cinder silently slip out of her seat…heading to a nearby exit shortly after the match contenders had been selected.

 **Amity Stadium Seating…**

"So who is your money on?" Olivia asked Esmerelda. Her teammate was usually good at reading opponents…if anyone could guess it would be her.

"Tough call, Yang is amazing but Mercury has completely overwhelmed every opponent he's faced in the tournament thus far head on. He was stronger than Horatio when they sparred last semester. I hate to admit it, but if it weren't for his inexplicable durability our Captain would most certainly have lost."

"So…you don't know?"

Esmerelda glared sideways at Olivia for daring to suggest such a possibility. "In my…unbiased opinion…Mercury has the advantage. However, if Yang can make good use of her semblance…that can be the deciding factor."

The blonde brawler and silver-haired fighter had approached each other as the bells signaled an imminent start to the fight. Both were tense as they reached forward with their left arms…crossing each other's in preparation to begin at any moment.

"Don't you dare go easy on me," Yang coyly remarked.

Mercury let out a soft chuckle at her words, "You wish."

"3…2…1…FIGHT!"

Yang pulled out a strong right hook as Mercury brought up one of his legs for a power kick…the two blows collided resulting in a miniature sonic boom. Neither one so much as flinched at the shockwave. Yang unloaded a barrage of punches followed up by blasts from her gauntlets. Without any sign of strain Mercury managed to deflect each one, parrying Yang at the wrist with a combination of his legs and arms…causing each shot to miss the mark.

The two continued their brawl…for that is what it clearly was. Other than Mercury's graceful dodges and flips to avoid Yang's attacks the two were going at it seemingly full force with no strategy beyond being the first to strike the other…and Mercury was winning.

Yang blocked the majority of his kicks and spins…but as Roland had realized from the many months sparring with the golden beauty…she struggled somewhat with leg-based attacks…however slightly. As amazingly skilled as Yang was with her fists…Mercury was with his legs…and the extra reach afforded to him allowed for the occasional blows to connect.

"Come on Yang! Stay mobile!" Roland called out, noticing her slow but steady loss of ground.

Mercury blasted Yang with an upper cut to her chin, following up with a leg sweep. Yang did not stagger as much as he expected, leaping over his feet and catching him in the chest with a blast from Ember Celica. Giving the young man no time to right himself she struck him again…sending him sailing out of the arena.

"Yes…she did i…."

Just as it appeared Mercury was out of bounds he slammed his feet into thin air before reaching the ground. A blast of energy erupted from his boots, providing sufficient propulsion to push him back into the arena with a graceful front flip.

"He never used that against Horatio or in previous fights!" Roland shouted to no one in particular as if Mercury had just cheated somehow.

His apparent ace revealed, Mercury went on the warpath, unleashing a flurry of rapid kicks at Yang. She was forced to pull back for some breathing space, narrowly avoiding another shot from his boots, the silver orb sailing past barely missing her head.

With a smug expression Mercury raised his foot high and proceeded to deliver high kick after high kick…each one firing off a burst of silver energy. Despite the fact Yang was a good distance away and his shots appeared to be missing he did not stop, spinning in circles as he kicked. Yang was too focused on Mercury; she rushed in while dodging the haphazardly aimed attacks. The audience on the other hand had a perfect view.

The shots fired by Mercury did not simply disperse or keep going…they turned as if having a mind of their own…encircling the combatants overhead. By the time Yang had rushed in and interrupted his attacks…dozens now swirled around them like a silver hurricane…and the two were in the eye of it. Yang attempted another close-range exchange…but Mercury was ready for her. With a high kick he parried her latest swing; somehow contorting his leg upside down he drove Yang into the arena floor and leapt away.

As soon as Mercury was clear, the dozens of circling energy orbs joined into a swarm of light…impacting the ground precisely where Yang now lay. The blasts slammed into the earth, pounding without mercy one after another until the dust obscured her fate completely.

Roland was on his feet, leaning over the railing. The readout showed that her aura was still active; nonetheless he could not help but worry for her safety. Mercury had spun around as the last bolt struck the ground, an absolutely pompous grin on his face as if it had been the easiest win he'd ever had…going so far as to brush non-existent dust from his shoulders. There was something about that smile that rubbed Roland the wrong way.

His boasting was cut short…as Mercury started to make for the exit an inferno exploded to life behind him. At first it seemed to engulf the entire field before finally collapsing back in upon its source…Yang Xiao Long. Roland sighed in relief as she stood back on her feet, eyes blazing redder than Horatio's.

"Way to go Yang!" Ruby called out to her sister, recognizing the use of her semblance.

Mercury's eyes went wide like a deer caught in traffic as she practically teleported in front of him…her face absolutely terrifying.

The young man fell back on his wide high kicks to keep her at bay, but that was no longer an option. Yang had activated her semblance just before the first of his silver blasts had struck her. As a result she absorbed the damage all of them would have done and harnessed it two-fold for her own strength…albeit at great cost as they had hurt considerably. Her aura somehow remaining just above the red. She blocked each of his kicks without so much as a flinch and powered through, striking him square in the chest so hard he lifted off the ground.

Mercury seemed utterly powerless before the supercharged Yang, she delivered blow after blow into his chest, juggling him in the air before knocking him backwards. Each time he tried to right himself he was only greeted by another fist. Roland and Olivia had started mimicking Yang's movements as if they were fighting alongside her, Mercury was on the ropes.

With a final brutal uppercut Yang sent him flying, a silver shimmer across his body alerting them that his aura had collapsed. He crumpled to the ground in a heap.

"What a way to kick off the finals!" Professor Port shouted over the intercom as the match was called.

"Yang Xiao Long Wins!"

Their entire row burst into cheers, none louder than Ruby, Olivia was the only one silent, she had started massaging her temples in pain…the headaches returning in full force.

"Yeah! You did it sis!"

"Way to go Yang!" Even Blake had joined in.

"She was amazing!" Roland gushed, his smile wider than ever before. It had not been the most graceful of finishes but she had pulled through. The worst thought going through his head in that moment was who he would root should it come down to her and Horatio. "When she gets up here I am going to…"

Roland paused in his musings of Yang's reward. The woman he cared for had started approaching Mercury who was kneeling on the ground still recuperating from her last hit. She must be going to help him up and offer well wishes for a good match.

To his shock and horror she raised her fist as she got closer, bringing it down on the defeated opponent.

"WHAT IS SHE DOING?"

 **Amity Stadium…several moments ago…**

Olivia jumped for joy once more; Yang had gone on the offensive and with her semblance in full swing and was completely overpowering Mercury. Even she flinched with an "oooo" as Yang's final blow shattered his aura and sent him tumbling to the ground. From the look of it the finals would boil down to Atlas and Beacon.

Team HERO's sniper opened her mouth to cheer, only for the words to die in her throat. She gripped her head in pain; it felt like knives were being bored into her skull from either side.

 _Not now not now not now not now,_ she chanted. The match was just about over…if it could just wait a few more seco…

She looked up at the arena floor, eyes going wide as Mercury stood up from his slumped position while Yang had her back turned. He muttered something but she couldn't hear, in a flash he leapt the distance between them, a high kick aimed squarely at Yang's turned back. A moment before he would have caught her in the head she spun, delivering a savage blow backed by a shell from her gauntlets straight into his kneecap, sending him back down to the ground.

"WHAT IS SHE DOING?" Roland screamed beside her, as quickly as it had come Olivia's migraine subsided to be replaced by the "boos" and horrified gasps of the crowd.

"What is SHE doing?" Olivia gasped at Roland's words. "Mercury clearly tried to sucker kick her!"

Roland's face had paled, not even deeming to argue with her he vaulted over the stadium seating, rushing for the arena center. Olivia looked up, her heart sinking as a squad of Atlesian knights and soldiers surrounded Yang, weapons drawn and brought to bear on her.

"My leg…my leg!" Mercury screamed, cradling his knee where Yang had struck him.

"That's what you get you little…" Yang started before realizing she was utterly surrounded, guns pointed in her face.

"Yang Xiao Long!" The lead soldier called out. "Stand down!"

Yang looked around again and again, everyone was focused on her…acting as if Mercury had done nothing wrong.

"Mercury!" Emerald cried out, falling to the ground beside her teammate as she looked over his injuries.

"Why?" Mercury asked, he was practically sobbing as he spoke. "Why did she attack me?"

Roland was the next to arrive, followed closely by Horatio who had abandoned his post with the other finalists. He removed his fingerless gloves, his aura glowing blue as he prepared his semblance.

"Stand back," Roland asked. "I might be able to…"

"Get away from him!" Emerald screamed, swatting away Roland's attempts to help any way he could. "Your girlfriend is the one who did this!"

"He's just trying to help…" Horatio started, but Emerald was hearing none of it.

"You can help by letting us through," called out twin paramedics who had pushed their way past the knights and men keeping an eye on Yang. They started to look over Mercury's leg which was clearly bent at a painfully unnatural angle.

"Please…help him!" Emerald begged.

"What…why are you only looking at me?" Both Yang and Olivia questioned. With growing trepidation they glanced up at the display screen currently in the process of replaying the final moments of the match.

Mercury lay prostrate on the ground, struggling to stand after Yang's final hit. As he just barely managed to get back to his feet Yang approached…punching him right in the knee with no provocation or reason and sent him crumpling back to the ground…his leg brutally mangled from the hit.

Olivia's mind raced…that hadn't been what she saw... She wasn't seeing things…she couldn't have…

Back on the field the paramedics only had to glance at Mercury's ruined leg to realize there was nothing they could do there. "We need to get this boy to a hospital! There may be a chance to save the leg!" Working quickly, they had him carefully laid out on the gurney covered in a blanket as they rushed for the exits. Roland remained behind, trying to calm the soldiers while Horatio raced off alongside Emerald.

"You don't understand! He attacked me, I swear! Tell him Roland!"

Roland just looked on slack jawed, he wanted to agree with her, swear that Mercury had initiated the confrontation…but he couldn't, he knew what he saw. Yang's pleading expression for backup drained away to be replaced with utter defeat as Roland just looked at her in silence. She looked like he had just stabbed her in the back.

"Keep your distance sir, she might still be dangerous!" One of the soldiers warned Roland as he approached.

"No she's not!" He refuted, pushing past them so he was in the center of it all. "There has to be a misunderstanding, can't we just…"

One of the men grabbed him, throwing him out of the circle as they advanced on Yang.

"Ms. Xiao Long, you WILL accompany us to holding…MOVE!"

Yang looked like she was in shock…not knowing what else to do she complied…shuffling off as if wandering in a dream.

Roland staggered to his feet as Yang was led away. He tried to follow but found himself held back by Olivia who had reached the arena alongside Esmerelda.

"Let me go, I have to tell them…"

"That Mercury attacked Yang first!"

Roland stopped struggling, looking at Olivia with a quizzical expression. What could she mean by that? The video clearly showed Yang initiating the attack, he was certain there must be a reason for it…but Mercury had done nothing.

"I saw it too Roland…but no one else did."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Esmerelda and Olivia glanced at each other, Esmerelda nodding in approval of what she was about to do.

"There is…something you should know about me. Let's get somewhere private…and please know that I never meant anything by not telling you or Horatio."

 **At the Airship Dock…**

They were nearly at the emergency ambulance docked on station for such situations. Emerald kept pace with the stretcher, Horatio maintaining a respectable yet close distance to them.

"I don't know what happened," he tried to explain. "But I WILL find out, Yang isn't the kind of person to…"

"She lashed out at a defenseless beaten opponent," Emerald threw back at him. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Not everyone tries to be as pristine as you despite what you may think."

Horatio had no words to reply, fumbling in his pocket he pulled out his scroll.

"I don't know where Cinder went; I'll call her and let her know what happened. Maybe she can find Ray and meet you guys at the hospital."

"Here!" A voice called out. "We have an ambulance ready to go!"

A third paramedic was waiting near the dock, as promised an airship was already supplied, engines revving as it prepared to pull out as soon as the patient was on board. Horatio grunted in frustration, Cinder wasn't picking up. He moved forward but Emerald gut-checked him, preventing his entry to the dock.

"Mercury is MY teammate…I will stay with him…the rest of you have done enough."

Horatio took a step back, feeling like he'd been sucker punched far more than if he'd actually felt Emerald's blow. The paramedics rushed Mercury inside, Emerald ever close behind. Once in, the stadium pair evacuated the ship, per procedure they had to remain on station in case there were any further emergencies. Taking care of Mercury would be up to those already onboard. The third paramedic who'd been waiting lowered her hat before making her way inside…she never even glanced in his direction. He had to shake the cobwebs out of his head, at first he could have sworn she had jet black hair…yet the next moment it was clearly red. The situation must have been getting to him.

 _What is going on?_ Horatio demanded in his head as the ambulance took off into the morning sky. _How did everything fall apart so quickly…?_

 **Aboard the Airship…**

"Oh Doc!" Mercury wailed further once in the air. "Tell me…will I ever walk again?"

Emerald punched him in the arm hard, Mercury shot up with an annoyed groan, all semblance of his previous pain and anguish suddenly gone.

"What's your deal?"

Emerald facepalmed, massaging the bridge of her nose as her eyes struggled to focus.

"Headache," she groaned. "One mind I can handle…two is a stretch, then factor in adjusting lover boy so he wouldn't recognize Cinder…I need a few minutes."

"Well…you all performed marvelously." The paramedic at the front smiled proudly. She removed her hat to allow previously hidden flowing black locks to cascade down her shoulders, popping out blue contacts to reveal amber eyes. "Driver included."

Beside her sat a second paramedic…none other than the final member of Team CRMS showing off her powers of disguise. She only replied to the compliment with a cheery smile.

"So what do we do next?" Mercury asked, hopping to his feet and stretching his legs. The prosthetic whirling machinery of his replacements was still fully functional despite Yang's attack. His horribly mangled leg rotated back into perfect condition.

"YOU will lay low until the end," Cinder commanded. "We can't have people seeing you up and about and make this whole performance a waste now can we?" Quickly she started stripping off the paramedic uniform they had commandeered, speed was more important than modesty. Within a matter of moments she was arrayed in her red dress, her favorite and the one Horatio adored most. "Neo will double back to drop off Emerald and I to make sure the match tonight is…exciting for all parties."

Neo nodded her understanding as she dropped beneath the cloud cover, unless someone was actively tailing them they'd never be spotted before returning Cinder and Emerald to Beacon. All in attendance were fully aware of the stirring Grimm in Mountain Glenn…sensing the negative emotions now coursing through the thousands at the Festival and millions worldwide. To them it seemed like a growing buffet…they need only wait to feast. With great booming steps the largest and most intelligent started marching…for Vale.

 **Team RWBY Dormitory…Early Afternoon…**

Team RWBY sat together in their room, Yang and Ruby on one bed with Weiss and Blake on the other. They looked utterly miserable…after the crowd dispersed Yang had been escorted by armed troops to their room where she was commanded to remain for the duration of the festival pending further investigation. General Ironwood had arrived later…he did not look pleased.

Yang couldn't believe what was happening; she'd seen the news broadcasts worldwide since her match. The entire world was turning against her with the video footage of her attack on Mercury being broadcast before they cut the feed. Intermixed with news reports requesting aid in dealing with the growing Grimm presence at Vale's borders were interviews on what people thought of the events. Most were…cruel in their opinions.

"You all seem like good students," Ironwood continued. Yang persisted in the assertion that Mercury had attacked her first…despite video and eyewitness evidence proving otherwise. "And the staff here at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did…under normal circumstances."

The four slumped back, it was clear the General had already decided what happened…nothing they said could change his mind.

"But I believe…and hope this to be nothing more than a result of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgement can be clouded in an instant. Sometimes…you see things that…simply aren't there."

A loud crash outside interrupted his train of thought, suddenly the door flew open…the decapitated head of one of the Atlesian knights Ironwood had commanded to stand guard outside rolling inside.

Roland rushed in first, panting heavily while dragging Olivia by her wrist; she appeared to be equally winded. Yang perked up at his presence, having seen no sign of him since her incarceration…for a while there she was afraid he had…

 _He didn't run away!_

"We have…new evidence…," he huffed and wheezed. Behind them a final form strolled into the room.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby clapped cheerily. He already had his sword drawn and was clearly responsible for the destroyed knights…once again.

"Qrow…" Ironwood growled, now adding two more to the tally of knights he would need replaced.

"Hey, they wouldn't let us pass…and I needed the practice," he rationalized. "Plus I overheard these two discussing something to add to Yang's defense…hear them out."

Ironwood sighed deeply; the day was just getting worse and worse.

"Close the door."

Once they were certain the room was secure, Ironwood turned to the newcomers…his patience for obliging their request already thin after his long day dealing with reporters.

"I…saw the same thing Yang did sir," Olivia squeaked, clearly nervous at being the center of attention. She was used to hiding in the shadows, staying as far from the limelight as possible. "Mercury jumped her from behind; she hit him in self-defense."

Ironwood just stared at her, clearly unimpressed with her proclamation.

"I…understand that you want to protect your friend…but the evidence clearly proves…"

"I know sir…but that is because ONLY Yang and I saw it."

Ironwood squinted at her, motioning for her to continue to the point.

"I am guessing you've read my record sir…you know how my semblance works?"

"You can shift yourself out of the perception of others around you, a form of camouflage ability."

"Close sir, which is what I want others to think of it as. In actuality it is more…invasive than that."

Team RWBY glanced to each other, uncertain where she was going with it.

"Perception is based on how our eyes process information and send it to our brains…my semblance allows me to…alter that information. At its worst, it allows me to…manipulate the minds of others."

Ironwood tensed at her words, such a semblance was…unheard of.

"So what are you suggesting Ms. Ramus?"

Olivia fidgeted in place. "I got a massive headache just as Yang won the fight sir that conveniently went away after she attacked Mercury. It's been cropping up every so often I didn't think anything of it. But after some thought, I think I was picking up someone else with a semblance similar to mine!"

"Someone else…"

"Interfering with the information processed by our brains!" Roland blurted out, unable to contain himself, it made perfect sense AND showed Yang's innocence. "Someone wanted Yang to see Mercury attacking her when he actually wasn't! From her perspective she DID attack in self-defense."

Ironwood crossed his arms, resting his chin on a hand in thought. Could that have been what happened at the tower the night of the dance?

"As…amazing as that sounds," he started at length. "If you have such incredible potential…why have you not used it before now?"

Olivia glanced at her feet, shuffling around embarrassed. Only Esmerelda understood her hesitation when she had revealed the depth of her abilities to her at their old combat academy years before she had been terrified that no one would ever trust her. Despite her absolute certainty that Olivia would never use her power nefariously…Esmerelda understood her reasons.

"Because…if I focus it enough, I can do more than just mess with the information in someone's mind. I can actually…see the information…what they are thinking to an extent. I can make them see things that aren't there…sometimes I can even vaguely tell where someone I've met is if I focus hard enough. I…I don't like that part of me when I use it…no one deserves that level of invasion of privacy. I don't want to see into those around me. I swore a long time ago I would never manipulate others like that…that is why I use it only at its bare minimum…I shift myself out of their perception…nothing more."

Everyone in the room just stared at the girl, how terrible it must be to have a piece of yourself you are so ashamed of. Semblances were seen by many as an embodiment of who we are…they could not even imagine suppressing a piece of themselves let alone doing it for years as she had. Who knew what that could do to her.

"I would need…some evidence to believe such claims," Ironwood stood his ground, his visage as resolute as ever.

"But…" she started before glancing to Yang. She was looking at her with such hope…proof that she hadn't committed the crime so many accused her of.

"Ok…but just a little," Olivia stressed. She never liked how she felt when using her semblance fully…it felt so…wrong…like worms crawling under her skin. "Just…focus on someone; it can be anyone as long as the image is clear in your mind."

She stood up straight, closing her eyes, contorting her face with effort. If a semblance was like a muscle…she had not flexed this one in a long time.

Ironwood looked on, still unimpressed…and then Olivia's form started to shimmer, twist and bend. After several seconds Olivia wasn't there anymore…but rather than disappearing completely...she'd been replaced by someone else.

Before Ironwood stood Glynda Goodwitch…but not the Glynda any of the students would have known. She was young…so young, not a single wrinkle blemished her perfect skin. She did not yet wear glasses; her hair was down but just as curly as he remembered. She was dressed in an out of date 4th year Beacon uniform and skirt. She looked up at him…and smiled, the exact smile she'd given him when the two had first met in secret by the fountain.

Ironwood took a step back, as subtly as he could he wiped away a tear. Team RWBY and the others present looked on confused, as far as they could tell nothing had happened at all.

"That is…quite enough," Ironwood asked. As commanded, Olivia relaxed, returning to normal in a matter of seconds with a strong exhalation. Qrow leaned in, making sure his old friend didn't need a moment. Ironwood shook his head before he could step closer…assuring him he was alright.

"Your…demonstration was most poignant Ms. Ramus. But I must insist you inform no one else of this…is anyone else aware?"

"Well, Ezzy…Esmerelda knows, I told her about it years ago and what I saw at the match. We can clear Yang's name…"

"And alert the ones responsible for orchestrating this farce in the first place." Ironwood allowed a hint of his frustration to boil forth. He had been made a fool of…to question a student Glynda had spoken so highly of. "I seriously doubt they would have gone to all this trouble simply to slander Ms. Xiao Long's name…something else is taking place here."

"But who would do such a thing?" Weiss asked, glancing to each of the others in turn hoping they had the answer.

"Most likely the new head that replaced Torchwick," Qrow offered up.

"That is what I intend to find out," Ironwood asserted, locking eyes with Olivia. "You have done VERY well Ms. Ramus…I would ask you to perform one more service."

"A-anything sir!"

"I will have my men around the arena for the match tonight…I want you to observe the fight. If you get one of your…headaches or spot the perpetrator attempting this again, alert us immediately and we will apprehend them."

"But…" Roland started.

"THEN!" Ironwood interrupted. "We can spread the news of what occurred with Ms. Xiao Long and clear her name."

"What can we do Mr. Ironwood sir?" Ruby jumped to her feet ready to act. Qrow could not have been more proud.

"Qrow and I will handle the details, the rest of you I want to exercise discretion. Act like you would had your friend been accused of such an crime. For the meantime…Ms. Xiao Long must remain under house arrest…and Team RWBY is disqualified from the tournament."

"Blake and I can cover the café." Weiss offered. The mention of their disqualification passing over their heads…there were more important things to worry about now. "That would be the next crowded location where someone might be lying in wait."

"I'll backup Olivia!" Ruby volunteered; eager to lay the beat-down on whoever it was that had tried to frame her sister.

"Excellent, I will allow you all special dispensation for the duration to carry your weapons on Vytal Festival grounds…just do your best to keep them inconspicuous."

The three girls stood up straight, nodding in agreement…on this they stood together.

 _Thank goodness,_ Blake sighed, looking at Yang with a heartfelt smile. _She isn't becoming another Adam._ She had seen loved ones change over time…she was thankful beyond words that Yang wasn't one of them. Yang spotted her teammate's glances and returned them; blushing slightly at how intently she looked at her.

Roland had to restrain himself with such an audience, instead settling on smiling at Yang from across the room. She had to wipe away tears of joy, she had been so disheartened by the day's turn of events…knowing that everything would be alright again soon…she could not help but shed a tear or two.

 **JNPR Dormitory**

Team JNPR poked their heads out of their room as the door to Team RWBY's flew open. Ironwood was the first to file out, sighing as he noticed the crumpled remains of his Atlesian knights. He'd need to have someone come by to retrieve them. Team RWBY except Yang, along with Olivia and Roland shuffled out behind him, they looked very uneasy. Roland and Olivia returned to their own room…they looked very deep in thought.

"Is she…doing okay?" Jaune asked sheepishly, hoping he wasn't intruding.

The three girls looked at one another knowing they couldn't utter a word of what had just transpired.

"She's…doing the best she can," Blake answered, trying to stay as vague as possible.

"I hear Mercury and most of his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family," Ruby advised, remembering Horatio's message he had received from Cinder after the fight. "So until they land no one can really question him about what happened."

"If there's anything we can do," Ren offered. "Don't hesitate to ask."

"Just be sure to win one for Beacon," Ruby smiled at Pyrrha who was still sitting on her bed in the back. She looked to be taking the day's events almost as hard as Yang.

Pyrrha locked her face into a smile, though it was obviously forced. "We will still have two chances for a Beacon win…but I will…do my best."

"Best of luck!"

"I think I'll sit this one out," Weiss started, setting the scene for her and Blake's stakeout. "Care for some coffee?"

Blake smiled back, despite the fact they would be technically on a mission it would be nice to share a drink. "Tea."

The door to Team JNPR's room slowly closed as Team RWBY left, each off to their own respective locations…they did not have long to prepare. Pyrrha was still sitting solemnly on her bed, contemplating what the future would bring after the tournament…

"YOU HEARD THE LADY!" Nora shouted, popping in front of the torn Spartan in an instant. "NO MORE MOPING AROUND!"

Pyrrha looked on in horror as she gazed at her ever hyper teammate with a single thought on her mind.

 _When did Nora change into her workout clothes?_

 **Back in Team RWBY's Dormitory…**

"I'll admit…the little squirt pulled through fire-cracker," Qrow complimented. He had remained in the room to have some final words with Yang. "He really surprised me."

"He…is good at that," Yang mused as she spotted Roland and the others walking across the courtyard down below heading towards the stadium. He hadn't turned his back on her as she had however briefly feared at the arena.

"I can see why Raven decided to save him…if she saw even half the dedication he had in his eyes back there…"

"Do you think…I'll see her again?" Yang asked, switching topics as they'd no time to continue their previous discussion before now. She was both hopeful and fearful that he would say yes.

"I…wouldn't count on it," Qrow hung his head. "I mentioned before my sister had an…interesting way of looking at the world. "She saved you…and you 'beloved' once. In her eyes…she's done her duty."

Yang lowered her head; she had spent so long trying to find her mother. Her treks across Patch…her first visit to Junior's Club along with a dozen other leads at least. No matter what she tried she always seemed one step ahead of her.

"But…" Qrow continued upon seeing Yang's disappointed frown. "She let some information slip. If you ever want to find her after we beat the bad guys here, I can help out."

"Find her for what?" Yang asked, feeling like nothing she said would mean anything to her at this point.

"That would be up to you kiddo," Qrow smiled as he took a small sip from his flask. "If you or…someone she may know ever wanted to seek her blessing for some…crazy reason."

Yang just stared slack jawed at his grinning implications, cracking a genuine smile of joy for the first time that day she punched him half-heartedly in the arm.

"You…are such a jerk Uncle Qrow."

 **Festival Fairgrounds…Evening…**

Pyrrha was slumped against the side of the building, a bustling crowd of festival attendees just around the corner, but she ignored them. Her team had been working so hard to cheer her up, from Ren's green goop he swore was healthy to Nora's last minute workout regimen. If only she could tell them the decision that faced her…to save the world…but have her very being changed in the process. If she allowed them to merge her aura with Amber's…what would she become?

"Ahem."

Pyrrha looked up, Jaune was standing over her holding out a fresh cone of Cotton Candy. He had an awkward smile as he offered it to her, the uncertainty as to whether she would like it plain as day.

"I thought it might help wash out some of Ren's green goop."

"Th-thank you…Jaune," Pyrrha accepted the spun sugary treat hesitantly. She was no good at hiding her feelings, even Jaune could see how off she was that day.

Jaune knelt down, sliding alongside the wall next to her, wrapping his hand tenderly around hers.

Far in distance Ren and Nora came walking around the corner. The pink Valkyrie was humming merrily with a literal skip in her step while Ren had an enormous bag of popcorn, equal sized drink and stuffed horse bigger than his head balanced in his arms. Nora spotted the two side by side; spinning on her heels she grabbed Ren by the wrist and pulled.

"Uhhh, come on Ren…let's go back to the fairgrounds. "I'll win you another stuffed animal!"

"But….but…." Ren attempted in vain to resist, uncertain where he could possibly place anymore furry companions.

"Pyrrha…" Jaune started. She had always been there for him, from the initiation when she unlocked his aura to the first night he admitted to her on the rooftop that he had forged transcripts to get into the school. She hadn't cared, despite his dubious methods of entry, Pyrrha still saw so much in him…more than even his own family. He knew full well he would never have improved to the degree he had without her. "I can tell when something is wrong…please…tell me how I can help."

Pyrrha couldn't look at him, if she did she would have to tell him everything. Squeezing his hand she breathed in deeply, if she chose her words carefully…

"I…don't know what to do."

"About…what?"

Finally swallowing all her uncertainties and hesitation she turned, looking the man she had grown so close to at Beacon right in the eye.

"Do…you believe in destiny?"

"Not really at first," Jaune started. He was clearly trying to determine why she would need such an answer. "At least, not until I came to Beacon, I guess it depends on how you view it."

"When I think of destiny…I don't think of some predetermined fate you can't escape, but rather some sort of final goal. Something you work towards your entire life."

"I…I can see that too," Jaune stuttered. He was far too nervous to explain the destiny he had discovered since coming to Beacon was meeting her…

"Well," Pyrrha continued, her confidence at explaining how she felt rising with each moment. "What would you do if something came along that you never expected…something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny?"

"Like…wha…"

"OR!" Pyrrha interrupted Jaune, barely having heard him say anything. She pulled her hand away from him abruptly. "What if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?"

"Pyrrha…I don't understand what…"

Pyrrha jumped to her feet, walking far enough away from Jaune for some breathing space…it wasn't supposed to be like this…

"I've…always felt as though I was destined to become a huntress…to protect the world," she finally explained. It took all over her composure to remain calm. "In the last few days it has become…increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right."

Jaune had gotten to his feet during her impassioned proclamation. Hesitantly he inched closer to her.

"But…I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can," Jaune replied without a moment's hesitation. "The Pyrrha Nikos I've come to know this year…would never back down from a challenge. If you didn't give up on me…on us, then there is NOTHING you cannot do. And if you believe that it is your destiny to save the world…you can't let ANYTHING stand in your way.

Pyrrha's eyes started to well up, tears threatening to burst forth. The man she loved was trying so hard to comfort her…yet did not have the slightest idea what he was encouraging her to do.

 _To potentially become someone…something different, to leave you and everyone else except Horatio behind…_

"Pyrrha…" Jaune started, noticing her oncoming tears. His heart ached as he stepped closer, desperate to do anything to help her.

"Stop…"

"If I said something wrong…I'm sor-"

"STOP!" Pyrrha shouted as he reached out to her, extending her hand to push him back.

Her semblance had always been linked to her emotions to an extent. In her desire for him to stay away in her moment of weakness her power over metal kicked in, latching onto Jaune's mismatched armor and throwing him backwards into the wall. The blonde knight slammed into the side of the building hard, cracking the surface from the impact.

As soon as Pyrrha realized what she'd done she released her hold on him. Jaune slumped to the ground in a heap; groggily he staggered back up, looking into her eyes in absolute confusion.

"I…I'm sorry," Pyrrha apologized, tears now streaming down her face. Unable to face him any longer she turned to run.

A stern grip seized her wrist; surprised at the sudden force she glanced over her shoulder…Jaune had already recovered from the blow and caught up to her in an instant. His eyes still gazed into hers, filled with love and determination…despite what had happened, he still wanted to understand what was going on and help, however he could.

"You've hit me WAY harder in training," he asserted, pulling her gently closer. "I know you didn't mean it."

Pyrrha stopped trying to run; with a whisper of his name she wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated the embrace.

"If…you don't want to tell me yet, you don't have to. Just know…that I'm here for you."

The two stayed like that as time moved on. Perhaps…after the finals she could tell him…then he would understand.

 _Why couldn't you have been my Guardian…the decision would have been so much simpler…_

 **Festival Grounds Storage Shed…Nightfall**

"Are you ready?" Velvet whispered to Cardin as the sun started to set.

Per her plan, the patrols in the area had becoming noticeably thinner. By her estimates they had a good ten to fifteen minutes before another knight came by…more than enough time for a quick look.

Cardin nodded, he had donned a red bandanna to hide his face…no doubt feeling it was appropriate for the situation. Velvet didn't have the heart to tell him it was pretty superfluous considering he had worn the rest of his armor with no attempt to conceal it.

They would be selecting the finalists any minute, if they wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery…now was the time to go. It was child's play for Velvet to pick the lock on the storage building, without a word the two slipped inside. It was a humble structure, barrels and other assorted containers stacked ceiling high. There had to be hundreds. Despite Velvet's unshakable surety in herself Cardin had no idea how they would find the one they sought.

"How do you know which is the surplus crate?" Cardin whispered, his voice muffled through his mask.

"They are stacked in rows of twelve stacked five high…factoring out the original capacity and how late is was brought in, they would have to have it no higher than three up in the final row."

Cardin's eyes widened at Velvet's sudden mathematical prowess. "I had no idea you were so good at that sort of stuff.

"Of course I am silly…you know how skilled us rabbits are at multiplying."

Cardin's face turned beat red, Velvet had to contain her laughter lest they be caught.

"Here it is."

The crate looked the same as any other, sitting just above on the third layer. Cardin easily hefted it to the floor, barely making a sound. Expertly, Velvet ran her finger along the seal…she should just have to peak and see what the contents were.

"Wha…" she muttered upon looking inside. "What is this?"

Not awaiting an answer from Cardin, Velvet picked up her pace, ripping away the hardened outer layer at the seams. The young huntsman watched as she clawed and pulled, her eagerness to expose the contents growing. He continued glancing between her and the entrance, ensuring no one came upon them while her focus was occupied. She continued at that pace until the rabbit-Faunus finally took a step back…wiping a bead of sweat from her brow as she produced her camera and surveyed the results.

"Um…" Cardin started. "That doesn't look like noodles to me.

Beneath the container's outer layer had been another and one more below that…once Velvet had ripped them away she had revealed a transparent drum…filled with a strange blue liquid that seemed to glow eerily in the darkened room…bathing Cardin and Velvet in its light.

 **Ozpin's office…**

"Dammit, they are moving NOW!" Qrow slammed his fist on the Headmaster's desk. He held his composure when around the girls as best he could…but someone had tried to frame Yang, he was out for blood. "Tensions are high Oz…Grimm activity is through the roof at the borders of Vale and the tournament isn't even over yet!"

"James and Glynda are mobilizing our allies Qrow, we can prepare for…"

"And how long will that take?" Qrow could not believe he was sounding more like Jimmy every second.

"Once the finals are over, Ms. Nikos and Mr. Soplar will make their decision…I pray it will be the right one. If so we can make our move to track down…"

Qrow clenched his fists, turning he walked towards and punched the back wall angrily, narrowly missing the dance portrait hanging there. Ozpin sighed; coming out from behind the desk he approached his friend, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder while he was glaring at the wall.

"I understand your frustration…but I assure you we can…"

"Oz…shut up," Qrow whispered, he had suddenly become entranced by the painting of the school dance. "Who…is that?" Ozpin followed his finger, he was pointing squarely at Mr. Soplar…no, he was aiming at his date beside him. He remembered the scene well; the two were performing the Waltz to a Shattered Moon. The perspective was done in such a way that Cinder's back was facing their view, Horatio's shining smile seen over her shoulder as they spun amidst the sea of students.

"That is Ms. Fall; one of the exchange students from Haven Academy, her teammate was the one Ms. Xiao Long maimed. She and Mr. Soplar have been courting for some time since her team's arrival."

Qrow had gone pale; a bead of sweat ran down his face. "Where is she now?"

Ozpin was getting concerned. "She was not able to rendezvous with her team at the hospital before Mr. Black was rushed off home. I imagine she would be in the coliseum to watch Mr. Soplar's upcoming match."

"We have to get her away from him…NOW!" Qrow spun, gripping Ozpin's shoulders fiercely. He was practically manic.

"What is this about?"

"I told you I didn't get a good look at Amber's assailant…that was half true. I couldn't make out her face…but I got a brief look at her back before everything got fuzzy. It was so quick I could barely make out a brand or mark of some kind. THAT is the same symbol…and she didn't have it when I saw her walking the grounds with him yesterday!"

Ozpin's eyes widened with the realization of what Qrow was implying. Suddenly it all made sense, the reason Mr. Soplar felt nothing upon seeing Amber in her pod…she had not been the first Fall Maiden he'd met…

"Oh no…"

 **Amity Coliseum…**

The seats were packed, the crowds roaring, food was being dispensed, souvenirs sold…the time of the Vytal Tournament Semi-Finals were about to begin. Despite an additional fight to be held the next morning no one was taking any chances. After the horrid display at the previous match, the worry of another disqualification resulting in an early final was a risk none were willing to take.

Team JNPR was in their seats, Nora channeling enough good vibes for all in attendance. Roland's parents had arrived despite his lack of attendance. Cameron had made sure to acquire seats as close as possible to watch Penny fight…her movements were like a perfectly choreographed dance to him.

Despite the somber aura amongst the crowd from Mercury's crippled leg, spirits were up…for most in attendance.

"Nothing yet," Ruby reported over her scroll currently set up for a 1 on 1 session with Olivia.

The two had taken up seats on opposite sides of the stadium and were keeping a vigilant watch. Blake and Weiss had similarly reported nothing suspicious in the café. Roland had decided to stay with Yang during her time under house arrest; they would be listening to the fight via their scrolls. It killed Ruby that she couldn't tell Horatio…but he had his hands full already for the upcoming match. If they tried something while he was fighting...

Team RWBY's leader was shaken from her fears as she looked out across the arena, her eyes locking with an unexpected attendee. Emerald was sitting in a general seat, looking around cheerily as if she hadn't a care in the world.

 _Emerald is here?_ Ruby paused, the last she'd heard all of Team CRMS except Cinder was heading for Haven…how and why was she here?

"I see something," Ruby reported with a whisper. "Emerald is in the stands."

"What?" Olivia replied back.

"I know!" Keep an eye out on the rest…I'm moving in for a closer look."

Ruby hurried down back inside the halls leading around the stands, it wouldn't take long for her to reach Emerald's seat. The door leading to the next section of tunnels flew open, another unexpected classmate walking through.

"Mercury?" Ruby whispered, utterly baffled by the turn of events. He was walking perfectly with no difficulty despite the injuries he'd sustained from his fight with Yang. "What are you doing here?"

The silver-haired student just stood at her smirking, he appeared to be enjoying every second of her confusion.

"And our chosen finalists are…" Ruby could hear Professor Port distantly over the intercom. "Penny Polendina of Atlas…and Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon!"

A shiver ran up Ruby's spine at the absolutely sinister grin that formed on Mercury's face at those words.

 _General Ironwood said there was more going on,_ Ruby's mind raced. She was unused to considering the worst intentions of people. _So they wanted Yang and Mercury to be knocked out, leaving just those last 3, but why would they possibly want Pyrrha and Penny to…_

"No…" Ruby whispered as the realization hit her.

"Ooooh," Mercury mockingly remarked. "Polarity versus metal…that could be bad."

Ruby growled, reaching behind her back she drew Crescent Rose which she had hidden within her cloak, immediately expanding to its full size.

Mercury actually appeared somewhat surprised at her weapon's presence. "Now why would you have that handy I wonder?" He asked as he crouched down, taking up a fighting stance to block Ruby from advancing. Ruby started to turn and make for the door she had entered from. Mercury did not give her a chance as a ball of silver sped past her head...melting the handle of the door. "Now now...let's just keep this between us."

 **Amity Coliseum Locker Room…**

Horatio tightened his gloves, making sure his overcoat was comfortably set on his shoulders. The next fight would be chosen soon…he had to be ready. With Yang's disqualification they had uneven numbers. The generator would be selecting the next combatants…and whoever was left out would advance automatically.

He knew his team would be above, ready to cheer him on if he was chosen to fight. Even if he was not selected, the final match would only be a few hours out. With a quick slap to his cheeks to bring him back to the present Horatio shot up to his feet, heading out into the long hallways leading towards the arena.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of familiar amber eyes watched him…preparing to emerge from the shadows and into the light. The endgame…had begun…

 **The final matches of the Vytal Tournament are upon us…the culmination of all the carefully laid plans of our heroes' foes reaching fruition. As always Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :)**

 _ *** EXTRAS**********************************************************************************************************************_

 **And now...making it's first introduction I give you...RWBY Heroes...CHIBI! Depending on how well it is received I may create a separate story after the events of Volume 3. Enjoy :)**

 _ **Birthday Bang**_

"Settle down Peons," Chibi Cinder called out to her classroom of evil.

The sultry spy had acquired a classroom through nefarious means for her devilish purposes. She had seen too many mistakes recently and felt it was best for her minions to be at the top of their game. Mercury and Roman were sitting in relaxed poses, clearly not taking things very seriously. Conversely, Neo and Emerald were sitting straight up at attention...ready to learn. Cinder had very neatly written on the board "Booby Traps for Fun and Mayhem," with several visual aids including the troublesome Corgi Zwei with a large "X" over him and a personal dream of hers...the Nikos girl filled with arrows.

"Today...we're going to talk about booby traps."

"Ha," Mercury chuckled, leaning over to Emerald. "She said traps."

"Quiet!" Cinder called out, ready to begin. "I need to concentrate, this is a...VERY delicate procedure. With the addition of this evil candle..."

A knock interrupted her thought, turning her head Cinder spotted Chibi Horatio who had appeared at the door. He looked very confused and was hefting a backpack filled to the brim with books and supplies. Cinder still had the stick of dynamite raised in the air when Team HERO's leader poked his head in...but he did not seem to notice.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I think I got lost around the 'Faunus Relations And You,' course." Glancing at his schedule he continued, "I am looking for 'OC Protagonist 101'...is this the right place?"

The entire room was utterly silent, Cinder remained frozen at the front of the class, the stick of dynamite hanging over her head. In a flash she hid the explosive behind her back, grabbing an eraser she hurriedly disappeared into a cloud of chalk. As the dust settled the board was free of any drawings save Zwei and the name had been changed to OC Protagonist 101 scribbled messily in haste.

"Yes...yes it is," Cinder smiled cheerily. "We were just about to begin, please take a seat."

"Alright!" Horatio shot to the front of the class beside Neo who had offered a seat, books and supplies already unpacked, he sat up straight and true, eager to learn.

"Now," Cinder turned back to the table. "About this boob...this wholesome birthday cake we had made..."

Horatio gasped loudly upon seeing the culinary confection behind her. "Cinder...how did you know it was my birthday!"

"Huh?" Cinder drooped her arms in confusion as Horatio teleported beside her.

"This is the sweetest thing you've ever done!" Right there in front of the class he wrapped Cinder in an affectionate bear hug, lifting her somewhat off the ground. Her face exploded red complete with steam billowing from her ears. Behind him Emerald had big stars in her eyes while Roman and Mercury just lowered their heads snickering. Neo held up a sign with the word "Aawwww" written in big letters. Able to see behind her, Horatio spotted the stick of dynamite in her hand. "You even got a candle!"

"Oh...yes...all for you," Cinder replied, her brain now running on auto-pilot and not thinking clearly. "Be sure to make a wish before you blow it out." In a flash she placed the stick on the cake and lit it with a burst of flame from her hand.

Horatio stepped in front of her, inhaling deeply as the spark traveled along the fuse. Unbeknownst to him and Cinder the remaining villainous class' eyes had gone wide, diving behind their tables with Mercury going clean out the window. The spark disappeared into the tube as Horatio leaned forward, only then did Cinder realize what she had done.

The explosion shook the doors as the blast went off, dousing Horatio and Cinder in icing from head to toe. Team HERO's leader blinked several times to clear his eyes, Cinder's expression of complete annoyance hidden deep beneath the sugary remains covering her face.

"Boy," Horatio chuckled, still oblivious to what had transpired. "Those trick candles get bigger and bigger every year. Um...Cinder...I think you got something on your face."

With a quick motion he kissed Cinder on her cheek, clearing off a small patch of icing so that part of her face could be seen. Despite the utter failure of the morning...Cinder allowed a small smirk to shine through...she didn't seem to mind teaching so much anymore...

 **Just a quick one for the first skit...I hope you enjoy! :)**


	32. A Dimming Beacon

**The Semi-Finals have started, our heroes move to halt the nefarious plans of the villains lurking in the shadows…but can they hope to stop those who have sought to reap the seeds of chaos for so long?**

Roland held a hot cup of instant noodles in each hand as he made his way back to RWBY's dorm room. The halls were nearly deserted, most of the students were at the arena by now and only Atlesian knights remained. Approaching the door he knocked, ignoring the blank stares of the two robots selected to guard Yang.

"What's the password?" Yang called out from within.

"Roland Mane is the luckiest huntsman in the world," he answered sarcastically.

"Hmmmm, close enough," she replied, opening the door. "I would also have accepted Yang Xiao Long is the luckiest huntress in the world.

Chuckling, he stepped inside, handing off one of the cups to her. She accepted it gladly, blowing across the top to ensure it was cool enough before taking a seat by the window. The finalists would be chosen at any moment. Despite the fear that whoever had sabotaged Yang's match were lying in wait, they did not want to miss a moment. With the immense security and their teammates keeping an eye out both had no doubt in their mind everything would be fine.

"You don't have to be here you know," Yang insisted as he sat down on the opposite bed. "I know your folks only went to the matches to see you and your team."

"They'll understand, after everything that's happened today…I thought you could use some company."

He didn't have the heart to tell Yang that his sisters had spent about twenty minutes reinforcing how right they had been about her. If he was down at the stadium with them it would only be a matter of time before he blurted out the truth to stop their assertions at Yang's nefarious nature.

 _And just when they were starting to like her…they'll understand once we can tell everyone._

"Yang," Roland fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. "I am…sorry I didn't back you up this morning. I knew there had to be something I just didn't…"

"Oh shush," Yang laughed, waving her hand back and forth. "You heard them; everyone was fooled…if it weren't for Olivia even I would be doubting myself right now. Of course you do realize this means I'll have to pound you a little harder at our daily spars next semester?"

Roland smiled back at her, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I've gotten better; I may actually win once for a cha…"

"And our chosen finalists are…" Professor Port's voice crackled to life over Yang's scroll currently set up on speaker mode. "Penny Polendina of Atlas…and Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon!"

"Yes!" Roland cheered, abandoning the bed to take a seat beside Yang closer to the scroll. "We'll actually be able to agree on who to root for this match!" Yang nodded in agreement, leaning over on the bed against Roland, their hands squeezing one anothers as they readied themselves for the fight.

 **Amity Stadium Arena…**

Both combatants had taken their positions, Penny and Pyrrha stood across from each other amid the marble and stone. As with Mercury's fight against Yang, no biome would be selected for the finals…the match would be decided by pure skill in an even playing field.

"Salutations!" Penny cheerily greeted Pyrrha while they awaited the command to begin. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Pyrrha smiled back somewhat, but despite Jaune's words…she still wasn't herself.

"3…2…1…BEGIN!"

As the bell sounded, Penny took the lead; with graceful moves like a dance she summoned ten swords from the compartment on her back. As if she were conducting a symphony she directed them towards Pyrrha. The blades heeded her command, soaring towards their target staggering between one another along the way like teeth to prevent evasion.

Despite Penny's precautions, Pyrrha ducked in, out and over the oncoming weapons as she rushed her position. All ten passed by without so much as landing a blow on Beacon's ace fighter. With their target missed, Penny recalled the swords back to her…they looped around the arena and rocketed towards Pyrrha. She sensed them in time, performing a front flip over the first before getting close enough for a first strike on Penny.

The young girl jumped back, but Pyrrha spring boarded off the second blade that attempted to strike her and propelled forward. She struck Penny in the chest, knocking her back; however she had redirected her swords again, creating a series of floating platforms which allowed her to gracefully hop back to the ground below.

"What an amazing display from Ms. Polendina!" Professor Port exclaimed as the two moved in for close range melee combat. Penny whirled her swords around her, parrying every attack, thrust and riposte Pyrrha attempted…nothing was working. Several even broke from the pack, transforming into floating turrets. Green bursts of energy assailed her, forcing Pyrrha to deflect what she could with her shield and evade the rest.

To many in the audience, this was the penultimate match of the festival…how could Horatio possibly hope to compete against these two battling beauties tearing the field apart with their struggle?

 **Stadium Tunnels…**

The red-hooded huntress stared down her former classmate, looking him up and down. He had to be part whoever was causing trouble at the festival…or was he an illusion too? He had no sign of a limp…any injury he had taken from Yang completely non-existent.

"What are you doing Mercury?" She asked, tightening the grip on Crescent Rose. Despite the anger in her voice he only grinned back without a word. "Fine," Ruby decided, firing off a shot from her weapon.

Mercury sidestepped the bullet expertly, returning with a blast from his boots in retaliation. Ruby fired again, this time using the force of the shot to dodge his attack. Rotating her scythe backwards she fired again, catapulting towards him with a vertical spin. Mercury fell into a handstand position, catching her blow with his feet. The ground cracked beneath him but he did not flinch.

 _I don't have time for this!_ Ruby screamed internally, she had to stop the fight! Planting her feet she took off, disappearing into a whirlwind of rose petals, aiming to rush right past him.

Mercury saw through her assault, leaping up he caught her with a spin kick. Ruby barely blocked it with her scythe though the force crushed her weapon into her gut and all momentum was still stopped cold. The young huntress contorted her face in fury at his attempts to delay her. Firing another round she flipped up high, rotating her weapon so it was now hooked squarely around Mercury's stomach.

Firing again while simultaneously activating her semblance, Crescent Rose caught the kickboxer in the gut, the force blasting him into the back wall with a sickening crack as he sunk into it. She did not wait for him to recover; the fight meant nothing to her. Ruby sped off down the hall towards the back exit beyond leading around towards the stadium.

"Damn," Mercury grunted as he got back to his feet. He was barely hurt and knew full well that Ruby would be no match for him in a straight up fight…yet he had no hope of keeping up with her speed. What was she doing carrying a weapon around during the festival?

 _Hope Em got the job done,_ he mused as he raced off in the opposite direction. His task was done…if things went well all he'd be doing the rest of the evening is recording the results of their plans for posterity.

 **Stadium Locker Room…**

Horatio had just exited the locker room, entering the long hall leading to the arena. It seemed so dark and empty, the echoing cheers of the crowd distant and muffled. From the sounds outside Pyrrha and Penny's match was about to start…he would face the winner not long after.

"No pressure." He whispered to himself, running every scenario in his head he could think of depending on who emerged victorious.

"You'll be fine, believe me," a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts from a side door.

"Cinder!" He spun around to face her. It was almost ominous how she emerged from the shadows. "Sorry you startled me, I didn't think they let anyone back here before the match."

"I seem to be doing that a lot," she smiled.

The events of the previous day ran through his mind…Mercury was still en route back to his home with no word as to how serious his injuries would be. What would she think of it?

"I…am sorry about Mercury; I have no idea why Yang would…"

"We can discuss that later," she whispered, interrupting him with a finger placed to his lips. I thought you could use some company."

Horatio was confused by how little she seemed to worry for Mercury, but he saw no harm…after all, the next match had already been decided. "I would love it." The two walked side-by side as they neared the exit.

"Neither would have been a match for you," she smiled. "You have nothing to fear."

 _Should I really try to win tomorrow?_ He thought, Cinder's choice of words going right over his head. _If this ability is not my own and just something given…should I really use it against someone who worked so hard to earn theirs…_

"Such a serious face," she seemed able to sense his hesitation. "This strength is yours…use it…ALL of it, hold nothing back."

Horatio looked at her, his face twisted in surprise. "Can…can you read my mind now?"

"I don't need to," she cooed, gripping his arm tighter.

 _Emerald will be in place…not much longer now…_

"Things are…about to change," Cinder started, eliciting a look from Horatio. "Before this night is done I want us to be…"

The light at the end of the tunnel was suddenly dimmed as several shapes stepped in their path, blocking the way.

"Mr. Soplar, get away from her."

"Ms. Goodwitch?" Horatio asked, he did not like the look of this. Professor Ozpin, Ms. Goodwitch and Professor Peach were standing in the way. Each of them had their respective weapons drawn.

"Do what she says kid." Horatio turned around. Ruby's uncle and Weiss' older sister had emerged from the locker room blocking the other path. They both had their weapons readied as well.

"What is going on?" He asked, Cinder had released his arm and was understandably looking very apprehensive.

"She is not who she says," Ozpin explained. "The transcripts from Haven were faked…there has never been a Cinder Fall attending as a student. The same is true for her entire team."

"That…that's insane sir," Horatio replied. He glanced every way he could think of…the side doors were all behind Qrow and Winter so they couldn't duck into one. What were they doing? "She's been attending Beacon for months now…she helped on Merlot's Island…with the Breach!"

"We were all fooled," Ms. Goodwitch explained. "Even Professor Lionheart and his staff did not realize they were faked. Please step this way."

"At least put the weapons away first," Horatio begged, stepping between them and Cinder. "She is unarmed and I am sure she can explain…"

"No can do," Ruby's uncle interrupted from behind, Horatio could not block both sides. "She was the one who attacked Amber and stole half the Maiden's power. She doesn't need a weapon to be dangerous."

 _That can't be true…it can't!_

"I thought you said you didn't know who attacked her!" Horatio countered.

"I couldn't make out her face…but I saw her back just fine," Qrow explained. "The assailant had a heart-shaped brand made from two high heeled slippers pressed together between her shoulder blades…sound familiar?"

Horatio's face paled, a look of restrained horror etched into it as he turned towards Cinder who had been silent behind him.

"Is…is that true?" He asked mid-turn.

The eyes that met his were not the Cinder Fall he had come to know and love. They were filled with absolute fury and malice, the most terrifying eyes he had ever seen…the same he'd drawn in his first sketch of her he assumed he'd gotten wrong. How those flawless eyes could look so sinister was beyond his comprehension. She did not answer him, she did not need to. It all made sense…the fire powers she had wanted kept hidden…

"Please Horatio…come over to us," Ozpin stressed again, holding out his hand.

"Why…?" he whispered so silent none save Cinder could hear. Despite his pleading voice…she did not answer.

"Horatio..."

The torn huntsman raised a single finger towards the Headmaster without taking his eyes off her, demanding silence.

"Give me...ONE minute...sir." His gaze remained transfixed on Cinder, demanding answers. "Was it all a lie?"

Again, Cinder would not answer, her burning amber eyes darted between him and those surrounding them. It was obvious even now she was seeking a way out, yet...subtly, amidst her cold calculations he noticed her head shake back and forth ever so slightly.

Horatio clenched his fists together tighter than he ever had, his whole body was trembling. The young leader of Team HERO did not know what to say or do, he was frozen in place. His emotions swirled inside him and breaths came ragged, what else had she done? Why had she bothered with the façade of their relationship? She had never done anything sinister to him…or had she? Was it all part of some grand scheme? His chest ached as he considered the unknowns and possibilities. Every moment they had spent together ran through his head; the monsters they had faced, the battles they had won..the dances they had shared...

Their first kiss...and all that followed.

In the end he did all he could bear to…he made his choice.

"She…she deserves to explain herself, please lower your weapons first and let her talk." He repeated, turning towards the Headmaster as he attempted to keep his voice from cracking.

Cinder's right eye ignited in flames behind him, Horatio did not see it.

Qrow launched himself without another word as he spotted the activation of her powers, his blade swinging directly at Cinder. Horatio spun around, catching the edge on his heel with a high kick before it reached her, cutting out all of the attack's momentum he stopped the blow completely.

"Cinder, RUN!"

Cinder tilted a hand upward, a burst of fire erupting from it and blasting through the ceiling above. The heat and debris forced Qrow back and the others to cover their eyes from the explosion.

Professor Peach aimed her dust-powered launcher, firing a large ball of flames wrapped in lightning in their direction, hoping to catch her before she could escape through the opening. Horatio leapt, kicking the blast and absorbing most of it with his leg, dispersing the rest harmlessly.

Glynda stepped up next, with a wave of her riding crop an invisible force seized Horatio, slamming him into the wall. He could not move. In tandem, Winter summoned a glyph behind him. Within a matter of seconds a mass of ice had encompassed Team HERO's captain up to the neck, he was utterly immobilized. As the smoke dispersed it became clear…they were too late. Rubble littered the hallway and Horatio could be seen still struggling against his icy prison…but Cinder was gone.

"Alert Ironwood and all security personnel!" Ozpin ordered. "We must not let Ms. Fall out of the school; her teammates may still be here as well. Evacuate the coliseum immediately!"

"I'll return to the Galinda and organize a blockade!" Winter reported, immediately vanishing out the door.

"Do you have ANY idea what you've done?" Qrow demanded, his face twisted in absolute frustration.

"What you wanted," Horatio answered simply, his eyes glistening with tears. "I protected my Maiden; she didn't throw the first punch."

Qrow only growled as he ran off through the blasted hole above in pursuit. A squad of Atlesian Knights filed in behind Ozpin as Ms. Goodwitch and Professor Peach rushed off to accomplish their orders. They took aim at Horatio threateningly.

"I am sorry Mr. Soplar," Ozpin's voice was low and mournful. "We will discuss the consequences of today after we have apprehended Ms. Fall. For now you must remain here." He turned to one of the knights. "Please ensure he is secure and comfortable until we return."

The lead knight nodded, proceeding to train its weapon on the young man as well after Ozpin had turned to leave. Horatio was fuming; the ice prevented his every movement. He had to get to Cinder before them…he had to. He could not generate enough force to find the strength to break free, every part of him was frozen except…

 _Except my neck…_

With a sharp motion Horatio slammed his head into the back wall as hard as he could; due to the minimal amount of force he could exert a sharp pain shot through his skull at the impact. He repeated the attempt, this time barely feeling it as the accumulation of each strike built up within him.

It wasn't much…but it was a start.

 **Amity Stadium Arena…**

While Horatio walked with Cinder Fall within the stadium tunnels the fight had continued, Pyrrha struck Penny with her shield, knocking the bubbly Atlas student across the field and giving some breathing space. Olivia had to slap herself as a reminder to keep watch for any funny business among the stands so captivating was the match. Thus far she hadn't even had so much as a migraine. She wanted so badly to be wrong…that nothing would happen and everything could go back to the way it was. Deep down she knew that would not be the case.

The sensation hit as suddenly as before, the searing pain jabbing into her skull from all angles. She slumped forward, bracing herself against the railing. Eyes watering from the effort Olivia strained to keep them open, focusing on the crowds around her for the source. It was utterly unbearable.

In the arena she saw it…Penny returned her remaining blades to her side and raised them over her head. No doubt she was preparing another assault using all of her weapons at once. One moment Penny had her six uniquely curved swords…then sixty…then six hundred….more? Olivia looked on in horror as the young girl's weapons multiplied exponentially from seemingly nowhere. Pyrrha could clearly see it as well considering the look of shock and terror etched on her face, it was happening again.

 _Who…who is doing it?_ Olivia scanned the arena, not wanting to consider the possibilities of what could happen if Pyrrha lost her cool in the face of such perceived monstrous opposition. Olivia was too slow, she couldn't possibly check over everyo… _Emerald,_ Olivia remembered Ruby alerting her to the woman's presence, it had to be…in a flash she scanned the arena, trying to remember where Ruby was headed.

She spotted the member of Team CRMS and there was no longer any doubt in her mind; Emerald was focusing intently on the match…but not like the others. She was sitting very still, her red eyes squinted, a single finger pressed against her temple as if to relieve pressure, if Olivia was a gambling woman she would have bet it all that Emerald was focused on Pyrrha. Ironwood had ordered Olivia to inform his men when she discovered the assailant…but there was no time, whatever she was doing she was doing NOW. But Emerald was too far across the arena; if Ruby hadn't reached her yet…then Olivia had no hope to. With the safety field in place between them she couldn't even try shooting her.

 _I…I can't,_ Olivia wrestled with the decision. She knew full well there was only one option at her disposal to stop Emerald in time…and it would break her oath she had held the last 4 years.

 _ **Why not?**_

 _You know why._

 _ **She's dead if you don't…you know this. You need me...you can't keep me down here forever.**_

Olivia punched the railing in frustration, no matter how terrified she was of letting that part of her out again her oath was not worth Pyrrha or Penny's life. She immediately fell to her knees, ignoring the odd glances she was receiving from the nearby spectators. Closing her eyes she interlocked her hands in meditation… if she was doing this she would have to be fast.

 _JUST stop her…nothing else._

 _ **No promises...but it'll be nice to stretch my legs…don't be a stranger after this.**_

Olivia steeled herself as she focused, the disgusting feeling of worms wriggling under her skin welling up inside her as she thought of her target...the green-haired classmate currently focused on the match...

 **Across the Field…**

Emerald stared intently at the redheaded huntress, hoping she hadn't gone overboard with over exaggerating the robot-girls weapons. The strings connecting those blades to their wielder were quite dangerous…if the Spartan girl overused her polarity to repel them…not even Penny could withstand their impact with her aura so weakened by the fighting. Penny was already winding up her arms to send the blades hurtling towards Pyrrha…any second now…

A loud screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard rippled through Emerald's head forcing her to break eye contact. Her powers could still work even without looking, but flaws may form in the deception, she quickly shook out the ringing in her ears in annoyance.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion; it was like a dream, upon regaining sight on the field she realized the entirety of Amity Stadium was suddenly silent. The roaring crowds…even Pyrrha and Penny seemed frozen in time, all standing still as statues in their previous poses.

"What…" Emerald thought to herself, yet the thought could be heard plain as day as if she had said it aloud. "What is happening?"

 _ **"Ya done goofed, that's what."**_

Emerald spun around, the form of a young woman was laying down lazily on the row above her, sniper rifle resting over her shoulder. It was clearly Olivia…but she seemed different, a strange black mist clung to her clothes like a miasma. Her hair seemed more platinum silver than the dirty blonde she had always had...eyes covered by her bangs with a wide, truly unsettling grin etched onto her face.

"What did you do?" Emerald spoke this time, her inquiry echoing loudly.

 _ **"Me? Nothing yet, you'd be amazed how much faster the mind thinks than you can react…makes it seem like everything else is standing still. I got orders from up top…stop what you're doing with the Nikos girl…right now."**_

"I'm not doing anyth…"

Pain shot through Emerald's head again; suddenly an old memory crossed her mind. She wasn't thinking about it and yet it was there, as if the recollection was being dragged to the surface. Her stomach twisted in knots, a sensation she had known well before meeting Cinder…a pain her mistress had sworn she would never feel again.

 _ **"Ouch, no wonder you became a thief…extreme hunger can be quite painful."**_

"Wh-what did you…?"

 _ **"Don't like that one? I can find another,**_ the shade of Olivia remarked coldly. _**"I have access to your whole history in here...how much more do you want to experience before you break off your contact?**_ " The voice paused for a moment. _**Hoo boy, the three of you really did a number on that Amber didn't ya? Ever wonder what THAT felt like?"**_

"Y-you wouldn't do that…Olivia," Emerald groaned as another painful memory was drudged up to the forefront of her mind. "You're a goody two-shoes, one of the 'good guys."

The shade stared back, flickering somewhat as if she were a hologram with poor reception. In a heartbeat she blinked from the railing to directly in front of Emerald's face, her eyes now clearly visible…the irises were as black as pitch…more terrifying than even Cinder's in that moment.

 _ **"Olivia? I'm sorry you must have me confused with the current management. Olivia isn't here right now…you're stuck with me. To give a name to your nightmares just call me Hildie..."**_

At those words fear exploded in Emerald's head, with all her remaining effort she broke off the link with Pyrrha, focusing everything on the invader forcing their way through her brain.

"GET OUT!"

 **Amity Coliseum…**

Olivia flew backwards like she'd been punched; her assault on Emerald's mind repelled, though the green-haired villain was equally tossed back into her seat, any further attempt to manipulate Pyrrha's senses was broken.

In the arena, the thousands of blades were thrown directly towards the young Spartan, seeking her out to end the match. With all of her strength Pyrrha mustered a tremendous pulse to repel them, waiting until they were closer to unleash it. As the projectiles neared her they seemed to shimmer and vanish, emerging as the original six that Penny had utilized expertly throughout their fight. Bewildered by the sudden change, Pyrrha pulled back her power as fast as she could but it was too late to stop it wholly. With a wave of her hand the shockwave was released, throwing the six blades back towards the young huntress.

The strings connecting them to Penny grew taut, sending the various swords flying in all directions away from the combatants…all save one that returned to its owner, spinning wildly. The crowd gasped as the weapon impaled the left side of Penny's chest, lodging itself right where her heart would be.

"Oh my…" Penny gasped, falling over backwards stiff as a board. Her own sword protruded from her back, sinking into the arena floor.

"No!" Professor Port shouted, uncaring that he was still broadcasting. Penny remained prostrate on the ground as Cameron reached her, cradling her head in his hands. He had sprinted for the arena as fast as he could with his cane the instant the blade had pierced her chest.

"Penny…PENNY…can you hear me," he cried, cradling her head in his hands. Her face twitched and spasmed unnaturally like a seizure. "Stay with me…the paramedics are on the way."

On cue, two men dressed in white fell to their knees beside him, scrambling through their supplies for those necessary to help her. The first looked over her wound clearly unsettled, who knew their services would be required for such serious injuries not once but twice in a single tournament. They could not even move her with the blade impaling both her chest and the arena floor below…pinning her to the ground.

"We need something to cut her loose," the first shouted. "Try to get a saw or…

Cameron reached for the cane at his hip, for medical reasons he was permitted to keep it on hand even during the festival. With a flick of his wrist the chain whip was let free, wrapping tightly around the blade trapping Penny. The length of his weapon grew red as fire dust coursed through it…Cameron pulled tighter and tighter.

"Come on," he begged…."Come on!"

As if responding to his will, Penny's sword crumpled under the heat and pressure, snapping off and freeing her from the arena floor. All the while the worried Pyrrha stood completely still on the opposite edge of the arena, too shocked to move.

"Excellent!" The first paramedic complimented as he prepared to pull the remaining half from Penny's chest, his partner ready with self-sealing patches to stop the bleeding once free. "This will hurt Miss," he warned. "Try to stay still."

"Please stop," Penny begged.

It was too late; the EMT grabbed the remaining sword handle and pulled hard.

The watching crowd jumped in surprise as a surge of electricity leapt from Penny's chest, striking the man trying to help and sending him flying. Despite this, he had held onto the hilt, pulling it free at the last moment. His partner fell backwards at what happened, the self-sealing patch forgotten on the arena floor.

Cameron removed his vest fully intending to use it to slow her bleeding…only to find no blood seeped from the wound. His eyes widened as he could see into her chest with the blade now free, inside he saw no blood, bones or anything else that should have been there. Instead only the occasional spark of electricity amidst green tubes and wires rested within. Even her pale freckled skin seemed artificial as he could tell it soon gave way to cold grey metal beneath the surface.

"Wha…" he gasped, recognizing many of the various apparatuses and components as clearly high-end Atlas technology similar to the knights and paladins. It couldn't have been mere prosthetics as they seemed to continue through the entirety of Penny right out her back. "A…a machine? Why would they make a robot of Penny?" He cupped her face, turning her towards him. "Where is the real Penny?"

The innocent girl looked back at him, seemingly unable to move anything below her neck from the damage sustained. She did her best to smile as genuinely as she always did…it was not working.

"I…am the real Penny silly."

 **Amity Stadium tunnels…**

Cinder raced through the back side tunnels of the coliseum, even the half of the powers she possessed would make her more than a match for any of the teachers in battle, Ozpin included…but she knew full well she could not take them all arrayed against her at once especially with the old bird and Ice Princess present. The outcome of the battle above was playing out on all the major networks. The girl had been wounded but not killed, though the crowd was in an uproar over her being revealed as a robot.

 _They ruined EVERYTHING. What was Emerald doing?_ Without a true tragedy on stage the negative emotions would never be strong enough to lure the Grimm fighting at the borders of Vale in for the kill. At least her identity as an artificial huntress had been revealed…that would have to do. _Fortunately…I planned ahead._

"Emerald," she whispered loud enough for her earpiece to register. "Plan B, and prepare the broadcast."

"U-understood," was the only reply. Emerald sounded oddly shaken.

 _They won't be able to pursue me much longer…they will have more pressing matters to deal with._ She smirked in the knowledge that despite the defender's best efforts…her plan left no room for failure. _Once I have claimed the second half…I can return for Horatio._

As Cinder rounded a corner she was greeted by a large Beowolf, the blue and white coloration giving away that she had been found. Cinder reignited her eye, firing a ring of flame from her fingers that seized the traitorous Grimm as it lunged her way. The band locked around its neck, tightening until it finally exploded in a shower of light.

Qrow Branwen appeared in an instant, flying through the now-scattered remains of Winter's summon…a farewell gift before she returned to her ship. Cinder back flipped, parrying his first blow with her heel, and spinning she tried to catch the aging huntsman with her foot. Qrow easily blocked the attack with his arm.

"Stop!" He commanded more out of habit than ever expecting her to actually comply. Qrow sped towards her, his heavy sword coming down hard on Cinder's head.

Cinder stopped her attack with blades of her own forged of glass merged with fire, a perfect replica of the pair she wielded as a student. Her weapons shimmered and cracked, licking the fringes of the grizzled huntsman's clothes. The two sparred back and forth, neither gaining ground as their skills proved evenly matched. Each missed strike of Cinder would bury into the wall, melting the very stone itself with the heat of the power she had taken…even though it was but half of its potential.

"You cannot escape!" Qrow warned as they clashed, his own weapons the only thing in the room capable of withstanding her flames. "Whatever you had planned…it's over."

"It's just barely begun," Cinder smiled cryptically, opening her mouth wide.

He realized her intent and broke their connection, barely rolling to the side as a torrent of flame emerged from the young woman's throat. The wall behind him was utterly destroyed from the condensed flames impacting it. Qrow rebounded and prepared for another round, as he took a step forward the ground shook…a distant rumbling growing louder and louder.

"Good luck little snowbird," Cinder remarked coyly as she fled through the new opening, sealing the only entrance with a wall of flame. "You'll need it…"

Qrow growled, preparing to find a way around as his scroll buzzed.

"Qrow!" Ozpin's voice called out. "We need you in the city!"

"But, she is getting away."

"NOW!" Ozpin shouted, his former calm demeanor falling away. "The Fall girl will have to wait, Gynda is already en route…I am afraid we have grossly underestimated her pawns."

 **Noodle Shed…not long ago…**

Another flash went off as Velvet took a photo of the same strange drum they had located within the storage facility. It was safe to assume the other surplus containers held the same.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Cardin asked, the strange bio-luminescent fluid casting eerie glows around the darkened room. Velvet shook her head as she took a final shot, storing her camera away.

"We should get out of here, report this to…"

The two infiltrators jumped as the strange readout atop the drum lit up, numbers sputtering to life as they looked it over.

10…

9…

8…

7…

"RUN!" Cardin shouted, having seen far too many movies to not know what this meant. Grabbing Velvet by her shoulder they started sprinting for the exit that now seemed so far away.

3…

2…

 _Screw it!_ Cardin pushed Velvet forward, falling back to put himself between his beloved bunny and the drum itself.

He heard the explosion behind him and briefly felt his body grow weightless as he was thrown through the air. Velvet flew with him, like a fortress he wrapped himself around her, ensuring absolutely nothing could touch her. His last experience before all went black was his body impacting the side of the warehouse, his thick armor combined with the explosion punching clean through it into the cool night air…

Unbeknownst to them, similar explosions detonated all across Beacon and Vale…an ominous blue mist emerging from each as the liquid was introduced to the air…reaching out for miles in all directions, beckoning those waiting at the edges of the kingdom and school to make their move…the feast was ready.

 **Back at the Stadium…**

Ruby had blasted back into the light of day in time to see Penny's impalement; collapsing to her knees in defeat as the paramedics rushed the stage…she had been too late. Fumbling with her pockets she produced her scroll…only to gasp in shock upon realizing it had been crushed when Mercury scored the hit on her during their fight.

"Broadcast…what are you doing?" Dr. Oobleck muttered into his earpiece above. The stadium monitor lingered on Penny's fallen body, the sword still protruding from her chest. "Kill the feed!"

"Somethings wrong! We don't have control over the cameras!"

Before Oobleck or Port could question further the monitor behind them, along with every other screen showing the Vytal Tournament, flickered…replacing itself with a deep red screen, a black queen chess piece featured prominently in the center.

"This…is not a tragedy," a voice echoed over the intercom. The hijacked transmission was not restricted to the stadium or even Vale…everywhere worldwide that was enjoying the Vytal Tournament was now beholden to the voice reaching out to them. "This…was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust…your safety…your children to men who claim to be our…Guardians, but are in reality nothing more than men."

"Where is that transmission coming from?"

"We can't trace the location sir!"

 **Stadium Tunnels…**

The last of Ironwood's knights assigned to watch over Horatio crumpled to the ground, its head smashed in. Team HERO's captain chiseled off the last bit of restraint holding him to the wall using a broken shard of ice he had snapped off early on. Without thinking he slipped the makeshift dagger into his deep pockets, ready to begin his search. He could hear the start of the broadcast…the mysterious voice unmistakable to him.

"Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to power in the name of peace, and yet what do we have here?"

 _What is she doing?_ Horatio's mind was racing. Pulling out his scroll he dialed Cinder again and again…the signal did not even attempt to go through. The transmission feature had been damaged possibly from a combination of Goodwitch or Winter's attack…the scroll was receiving just fine…but could not send.

"One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, run through by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl gifted with strength to match that of a prodigal student? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a crippling dismemberment and now this? Huntsman and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, and while I have met an individual possessing these traits…they are within the woefully diminished minority."

 _No, nononononono_ , Horatio chanted, rushing outside into the light in search of where she may be broadcasting from.

 **Beacon Academy…**

Blake and Weiss had sat dumbfounded in the café as Cinder's speech on the realities of the huntsmen academies continued. Yang did the same from the confinement of her room; already she had readied her gauntlets and was prepared to head out. Roland had his shield ready to go.

"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its very streets. Or perhaps…this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly? I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong…but I know the existence of peace is fragile. And the leaders of our kingdom conduct their business from the shadows with iron gloves."

"What is going on?" Roland asked Yang, fully recognizing the voice over the intercom as it continued. The transmission was superseding all scroll signals; he couldn't call out to anyone, for now...they were alone.

 **Outside Vale…**

The soldiers had been yawning; a posting at the inner borders of Vale was such a boring assignment. Grimm activity had spiked closer to Mountain Glenn and the surrounding area…but this far in there was no action to be seen. They had heard nothing from the more combat-heavy fronts further away…they supposed that must be a good sign. Only the Vytal Tournament had alleviated their idle hands and minds.

The two men sat in awe at the impalement of the young Atlas prodigy…and were similarly disturbed as the unknown voice tore down their beliefs around their General and the huntsman institutions. They could focus on naught else.

"As one who hails from Mistral," the voice continued. "I can assure you the situation there is…equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are at the brink of war…yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark…believing that the days of peace and light can linger forever."

A low growl snapped the men to attention, eyes widening in shock.

"Weapons free!" One shouted as they unloaded their weapons into the advancing attackers.

Grimm…hundreds of Grimm of every species known to man and even more emerged from the darkness barreling towards them. The men opened fire into the horde, their paltry numbers ineffective against such numbers. It was not long before they started a retreat back to the city, hounded every step of the way.

"Come in Red Squad," the Corporal shouted into his communicator. "Grimm have gotten around your Mountain Glenn containment, I repeat, Grimm are en route to the city!"

No response.

"Red Squad? RESPOND!" He repeated only to be greeted by ominous static over the radio. It was then a terrifying possibility entered his mind…the Grimm had not gotten around their containment…they had gone through them while their channels were being jammed by the strange transmission. The troops remaining at the school and city could be all they had left.

He did not have a chance to consider other possibilities…as the jaws of an unseen Grimm tore through his armor…many more following behind. His empty helmet clattering to the ground as the announcement continued.

"So I ask you…when the first shots are fired…who do you think you can trust?"

 **Amity Coliseum…**

 _ **INCOMING GRIMM ATTACK**_ , the automated voice over the loudspeakers warned the attendees. _**THREAT LEVEL…NINE, PLEASE SEEK SHELTER IN A CALM AND ORDERLY MANNER.**_

A massive Nevermore had landed on the roof of the stadium, held back only by the energy barrier set up for the tournament. It was a sturdy shield, there was no doubt of that, but even so it clearly would not hold under the pressure much longer. Those within the stadium scattered and ran for the airship dock; it was sheer pandemonium.

Up in the announcer's booth Ironwood had rushed to talk to Ozpin using local communications.

"Oz," the general started, holding the radio close as he spoke. "The girl…I can explain…"

"You…brought your army to MY kingdom James," Ozpin's voice interrupted him calmly though the general could tell his old mentor was holding back his emotions at the turn of events. "Use it…"

Down below, Esmerelda had leapt from the stands and was doing her best to direct the crowds and prevent anyone from being trampled in the ensuing chaos.

 _There hasn't been a threat level Nine Grimm attack in over a decade._

"Make for the docks!" She shouted over the screams. "Do not push!"

"Ms. Moto!" A familiar wooden voice called out her name, turning she saw Roland's parents rush up to her. The other children were noticeably absent. "Where is Roland?"

"He should be with Yang back at the school, where are Cinnamon and Casey?"

"They wanted to apologize to him so they left with Elf before the match started…we have to get back down there! They don't have any scrolls to call!"

"This way!" Esmerelda directed them through the crowd, as it stood the airships docked at the coliseum were the only way down. Quickly she retrieved her scroll; with the transmission terminated local communications should be possible again. They had to coordinate a plan.

Back in the arena, the paramedics had abandoned the field in the face of the incoming Grimm attack. They saw nothing they could do for the disabled Penny still lying prostrate on the ground. Cameron had tried to move her…but she was far too heavy for him.

"This whole time?" He asked her. While her body was damaged and immovable, Penny was still able to speak.

"I…am sorry Cam…I wanted to tell you, but the General was quite insistent no one knew. You should vacate the area; a level 9 threat is quite serious."

"I'm not leaving you here! I'll drag you out inch by inch if I have to!"

"There…may be no need for that. Please…remove my collar…but try not to stare."

Cameron looked at her confused, hesitantly he complied, unlatching the accessory he had never seen her without. As the choker fell away he saw why. Beneath it there was an obvious seam or joint like the kind found on a doll encircling her throat…no doubt similar segments of separation were present across her body beneath the fake layer of skin.

"My internal components are damaged below my chest cavity…it would take significant repairs for my body to be functional again. I was able to disconnect my higher brain functions from the damage before it affected my cranial unit, it may be possible for you to disconnect it and take me with you. I assure you it is quite lightweight."

Cameron stared blankly at what she was asking him to do…he asked a question he never thought he would hear himself ask a girl in his entire life.

"You want me…to take off your head?"

 **Atlas Command Ship Galinda…**

"Blues two and three in defensive position ma'am," the Captain of the nearby Command Ships reported as Winter stepped off her personal transport onto the Galinda. "Nevermore and Griffon flocks are increasing in density, interceptors running hot at 55% capacity and falling.

Do your best out there Captain," she commanded. "Launch all fighters and knight squadrons. If you still have any upgraded Paladins active, sortie them as well."

"Roger that!" He replied before the transmission cut out.

Winter had seen the swarms blacking out the skies around Beacon as she had set out to reach the Galinda in time. Ironwood's command vessel was far larger than her own personal cruiser but comparatively had greater combat capabilities. Once the blockade had been fortified and the skies over Beacon and Vale cleared she could return to her ship. Her hand reflexively fell to the blade at her hip…the vessel seemed eerily quiet...she hadn't noticed any activity from the ship on her approach save for the automated turrets picking off the occasional winged Grimm.

 _This is the General's ship…they should have been at full combat alert status in under two minutes of the attack._

Winter's blade flew into her hands in an instant as she rounded the corner ahead. Sprawled throughout the halls were no fewer than a dozen Atlas soldiers. Based on their uniforms they were their special sortie group meant to contain smaller Grimm outbreaks singlehandedly. Judging on how they were scattered about it was obvious they had been dispatched as a group...had Grimm made it onboard somehow?

One of the soldiers stirred among the bodies, Winter rushed to their side, looking her over for injuries.

"What happened Lieutenant?" She demanded, recognizing the rank on her armor.

The wounded soldier looked up at her, her green eyes appeared weak, barely able to stay open. With shaking hands she pointed towards the hatch at the far end of the hall. The door led to an escape pod, inside she could make out two shapes.

Winter saw her…a small woman, she couldn't have been taller than five feet. Her hair was split down the middle, half being an odd pink coloration while the other was a light brown. She matched the description of Roman Torchwick's assistant Neo to the letter. She currently had the heel of one of her boots pressed against a soldier's throat, a sword in her hand raised high ready to skewer him.

"STOP!" Winter commanded, propelling herself with all the strength she could muster using a gravity glyph to save the poor man. He must have been trying to escape Neo's rampage. She would NOT let her kill another.

Winter's sword impacted Neo's chest dead center; despite the eerie woman spotting her well in advance she made no attempt to move. The former heiress' eyes widened in shock as her opponent shattered into a thousand shards of glass, leaving her alone in the escape pod with the wounded soldier still struggling on the ground now revealed to be bound with rope.

"Specialist! It's a tra…"

The escape hatch door slammed shut behind Winter, locking in place with an echoing clang. She barely had time to gaze back through the window before the whole room lurched free of the ship. The wounded female soldier who had pointed out the hatch got to her feet, sneering in victory as she waved farewell. Her Atlas uniform shimmered with light and disappeared before their very eyes…leaving Neo standing before her.

"DAMN YOU!" Winter called out as the escape pod launched from the Galinda, sending her spiraling across the sea away from Beacon…to Vale.

 **Galinda Holding Cells…**

The final prison guard crumpled to the ground as the rest had, his efforts to halt their short-statured intruder completely in vain. With a powerful high kick she cracked open a nearby evidence locker…retrieving a familiar Grimm mask, hat and cane. As if she were on a leisurely strolls Neo sauntered over to the only occupied cells, pressing a series of keys she had memorized long ago since beginning her infiltration of the ship

The two occupied cell doors hissed open, the restraints holding their occupants now disabled. She proceeded to toss the Grimm mask haphazardly inside the first cell, however as she neared the second Neo twirled the black bowler hat merrily atop the tip of the cane and leaned inside to greet the resident within.

"Well…it's about time," Roman Torchwick smiled, emerging from the darkened corners of his cell, ready to begin the day in earnest. "You're the only one I can count on in this world Neo…other than yours truly of course."

From the neighboring cell a giant of a man emerged, having already donned the Grimm mask returned to him.

"Neo and I will take the bridge," Roman ordered the newly freed ally. "Do clean up any stragglers left aboard won't you?"

The physically intimidating Faunus glanced around; he was unarmed and eager to retrieve a new instrument to bring against the humans aboard.

"I'll need a new chainsaw," he grumbled, making his way to the extensive weapons locker afforded to such elites of Atlas…

 **Beacon Airship Dock…**

As Atlas' air superiority was being swarmed in the skies above, an entire flotilla of Bullhead's approached the school unnoticed in the confusion. One by one they landed, their hatches hissing open to expose their payload. The first wave contained platoon after platoon of White Fang soldiers filing out in groups armed with the best stolen weaponry Atlas could offer. They were arrayed in white and grey armor save for one…a red-haired swordsman with great horns atop his head. His attire was darker than the night sky contrasting against his pale Grimm mask…he never once removed his hand from the pristine blade at his hip.

Once the White Fang had left the dock a new wave was brought in, the ships on auto-pilot to prevent any complications with their cargo. As the ships set down the doors could not open fast enough as Grimm of all shapes, sizes breeds and temperaments burst forth from within. Those who witnessed the invasion would have sworn such numbers could not possibly have fit inside the Bullheads…but they would be wrong…and more continued to land. These were not the same Grimm pressing on the defenders from outside Vale, these ones felt more…sinister…twisted somehow…exemplified by the odd jagged green crystals jutting forth from various points all over their bodies…

And far in the distance, a small group of Bullhead's headed deeper into Beacon flying low, not to hide from monitors…but due to the sheer weight of their payload. Below the dangerously overburdened ships a single Goliath roared…the same green crystals of its kin growing all over its back…the elephant-Grimm's size noticeably no less than twice larger than any Goliath ever seen walking the face of Remnant…

 **The battle to decide the fate of Beacon has commenced. Our heroes, divided and scattered, work to muster a defense as the hordes of Grimm crash down upon their home. Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy!**


	33. Battle For Beacon: The Lines are Drawn

**Beacon is under siege…White Fang and Mutant Grimm assail the school as hordes of their Mountain Glenn brethren march on Vale. Our heroes rush to war to defend their home and friends…**

"Ooooh, so many buttons," Roman Torchwick gushed like he was a little kid. The bridge was cleared of opposition and the bodies of fallen soldiers littered the deck; none stood the slightest chance against Neo. She had almost literally walked through them; no doubt the lieutenant was having equal ease with any that remained on lower decks.

"Hmmm, how about…this one."

The ship lurched, turning sharply towards the two nearest Atlesian Command Ships. The vessels were most impressive, despite the flocks of Nevermores and Griffon's blotting out the skies they were putting up a decent defense. Rays of energy erupted from both in rotating arcs shredding the Grimm by the dozens.

"You've been a good girl Neo…how would you like the first honors?"

Neo skipped up to the control panel, looking over the options before her. With a sinister grin she pressed a large red button shimmering brighter than the rest.

The main battery of the Galinda revved up, firing its full power…directly towards the nearest Command Ship. Despite the vessel's impressive defense, even it wasn't built to take such a hit. On top of the unchallenged firepower Neo had aimed just beneath the port engine, knocking it out. Off-centered, the ship listed to the right…colliding directly into the second. The two exploded in a glorious display with all hands onboard…the Grimm flocks now unchallenged in that quadrant.

Roman started cackling, he never considered himself a master of clichéd cartoon villainy but in that moment he felt like trying something new as he turned the guns on the remaining Atlas vessels oblivious to the friendly fire.

"Hohohoho, it is GOOD to be back!"

 **Beacon Dormitories…**

Yang and Roland raced through the halls; the Atlesian guards had left their post…clearly having more important things to do than continue watching her. They couldn't believe what the reports were saying was happening. Grimm all over the school and Vale…Atlas troops completely overwhelmed…how did this happen?

Almost simultaneously both of the couple's scrolls went off. With the nefarious transmission stopped channels were open again, though with the CCT Tower's failure only local communications were still available.

"Roland…Roland come in! Are you okay?"

"Roger that Ezzy, Yang and I are en route to the stadium, we should be there in…"

"Don't bother," Esmerelda interrupted him quickly. "We are currently evacuating the stadium, Vale is under heavy attack. They are moving us to the airship port at Beacon until it can be secured, your parents are with me but Cinnamon and Casey are not."

Roland's heart sank to the bottom of his gut.

"Where are they? Did they…?"

"We don't know, they headed back to the school before the match started looking for you. Elf went with them."

Roland breathed a sigh, if Elf was with them then they would have time to find the girls…he didn't know a Grimm smaller than a Goliath that could take her in a fight.

"Tell mom and dad I'll find them…no matter what. Any word on Horatio or Olivia?"

"Olivia is here, we're helping get everyone out…no sign of Horatio. He is not answering his scroll and isn't here with the rest of us."

Roland cursed under his breath; Horatio would be instrumental in this fight.

"Yang and I will get Casey and Cinnamon and do whatever we can against the Grimm. We'll meet you all up at the dock."

"Understood…be careful…both of you."

Roland hung up his scroll; Yang had already finished her own conversation and did not look any better than him.

"Blake and Weiss are fighting their way here from the fairgrounds," Yang explained, the worry on her face betraying the assertiveness in her voice. "Ruby isn't picking up her scroll."

"Neither is Horatio. Olivia and Ezzy are working to evacuate the stadium…I'm sorry Yang I need to find Cinnamon and Casey, they came back to the school looking for me before the attack."

Yang's eyes went wide at mention of the little girls, she nodded understandingly.

"We'll find them first…and take out as many Grimm as we can along the way.

"Sounds like a plan."

Rounding a corner they nearly ran into someone, Yang's adrenaline going so strong she nearly lashed out at the shape. She hesitated at the last moment, the memory of Mercury's fight still fresh in her mind.

"Yang, Roland!" Arslan called out. She had been unable to acquire tickets to the finals and was enjoying the festival until the attack. "Grimm are overrunning the fairgrounds and moving into the school. Ironwood's troops are engaging but…they need help."

"We're on our way," Roland assured her as the three rushed outside into the swirling chaos that had consumed Beacon.

 **Amity Stadium…**

Pyrrha continued to stare from across the field at the fallen Penny. The paramedics had fled and from her angle she was not moving. Cameron was frantically trying to tend to her wound and was even whispering to her…but the girl did not stir.

"Pyrrha…Pyrrha!" Jaune called from the stands, frantically trying to get her attention as the enormous Nevermore continued to pound on the roof of the Stadium "That thing's going to break in…you've gotta move!"

Realizing his beloved Spartan was not hearing him, Jaune vaulted over the railing much to the shock of Ren and Nora behind him as they had no weapons. Landing on the edge of the arena he rushed in, scooping up Pyrrha's fallen weapon, Miló. Fumbling with it mid-run as she had shown him he converted it into the javelin form and took aim.

At the same time that Jaune reached the arena, the Nevermore had dive bombed through the shield, slamming into the arena floor only a few feet from her. With a roar it started scuttling towards Pyrrha using its black wings like forelegs.

Miló sunk into its face, stopping the avian monstrosity in its tracks with a powerful throw from the blonde knight. The Grimm howled in pain, frantically attempting to extricate the weapon from its body. The impact snapped Pyrrha out of her stupor as she spun, just in time for Jaune to reach her.

"Come on…we have to…"

A whirlwind of rose petals blasted past them while the Nevermore was distracted by Jaune's attack. Repeating her tactic used during initiation Ruby Rose hooked Crescent Rose around its neck, tears falling down her face she could not stop.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Firing off every round she had loaded into her weapon as momentum, she crushed the winged monster into the arena floor, shattering it worse than during Team HERO's match. Despite her best efforts, without Weiss' gravity glyph for additional force she could not decapitate it on her own.

As Ruby's last shell casing clattered to the ground, the Nevermore twitched violently again and again. The young huntress allowed some relief to wash over her as she realized its source…

The rocket lockers, storage spaces for their weapons and equipment were raining from the sky. One after another they impacted the Nevermore's neck, crushing it further and further into the ground. As the last locker struck home, the Grimm's neck was ripped from its shoulders, slumping to the floor with a crunch before it finally started to disintegrate.

"Perfect aim!" Olivia called out in the distance, holding out her scroll proudly. She had sent the emergency signal to call every weapon locker for the teams in the stadium to their location…but even Olivia could not believe she had estimated the coordinates to decapitate the Nevermore so perfectly. One by one the lockers flew open, revealing their contents.

Every student armed themselves; Team ABRN minus Arslan, Team BRNZ, ALMD and HALO all readied themselves for the battle to come. Lastly, Ren and Nora retrieved theirs, Jaune had already located his.

"Ruby…" Pyrrha teared up upon seeing the young girl. She knew what close friends she'd been with Penny. "I'm…so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Ruby asserted as Jaune rushed to his patner's side, handing off her javelin and shield. "It was the ones who started this whole thing…and we have to finish it."

"It's true; this was not your fault Ms. Nikos. Please do not blame yourself."

Ruby and Pyrrha tensed up at the familiar voice, with a snap both turned in its direction. Cameron was standing behind them, having completed the complicated step-by-step process Penny had walked him through. Her head now rested in his arms, her smile ever present.

"Salutations friend Ruby."

Ruby and Pyrrha both started to scream in unison, holding the pitch for an impressive amount of time at the realization of what they were looking at right in front of them. Despite her absolutely terrified expression, Ruby could not have been more relieved in that moment...

 **Airship Dock…**

General Ironwood was fuming, he and the men he had at his disposal succeeded in getting the bulk of the crowds to the dock. As he surveyed his surroundings he could see airships departing one after another…many far over their intended capacity but there was no helping it. The Nevermore and Griffon flocks were threatening to overwhelm Amity Stadium. If they managed to damage the engines while people were still on it…

 _Where is my air support?_

As if in answer, a small fleet of bullheads pulled up alongside the stadium docks. The crowds trapped towards the back of the rest split off, running for the perceived salvation of the new ships surely there to assist with the evacuation.

Renewed hope quickly gave way to despair as the doors opened, flooding the docks with waves of Grimm that had been waiting inside to be released. The soldiers and knights previously herding the panicking masses turned to deal with the invaders.

Esmerelda leapt in, linking the clones of her weapons into a long chain. With a glance of her eyes they swept across the field, pushing any Grimm caught within their binds off the edge tumbling to the ground far below. Most of the other students were fighting in the stadium, leaving the docks to her and the soldiers. She could not help but notice the green veins and crystals corrupting the outer layer of the Grimm's skin.

 _Green crystals,_ Esmerelda mused as she continued fighting. _The same Horatio and Cinder dealt with on Merlot's island…_

A mutated alpha Beowolf roared, hefting up knights left and right, tearing them to pieces like they were made of tissues. Ironwood had had enough.

Stepping up he drew the beast's attention, staring it down menacingly fully aware it had perfect sight of him. With an echoing roar, the monster spit out the jumbled parts and gears of the knight and took off towards the general. Ironwood let out a tremendous war cry as he responded in kind, racing full speed at the largest of the Beowolves. Esmerelda had to admit it was quite…dashing.

As the two were about to collide Ironwood delved into his jacket, drawing forth the largest hand cannon Esmerelda had ever seen. The Beowolf lunged for its prey…only for the general to duck beneath its claws, sliding across the floor while simultaneously unloading a barrage into its face, aiming for the eyes. What would have been a sure kill instead deflected, bouncing off the crystals which were growing over the beast's mask. The attack clearly hurt as the Grimm landed, shaking the pain from its face. Ironwood sunk his right hand into the ground, allowing him to slow his slide and turn harshly; leaving grooves in the ground were his fingers had gripped. Raising his pistol again he continued unloading his seemingly infinite clip into the mutant that had already recovered and ran for him again.

Ironwood did not even try to move, the Beowolf augmented by Merlot's twisted experiments raised its claws, bringing them down on the Atlesian general. Ironwood simply raised his left arm, blocking the aura-shattering blow without so much as a flinch…even the Beowolf turned its head with a confused growl. Refusing to give it a chance to realize the folly of its actions Ironwood throttled the Grimm over his head, placing his pistol point blank against its skull…a single shot was all he required to end it at that range.

While savoring his victory Ironwood did not notice the inclusion of a new Grimm behind him…turning just in time for a long leg to catch him in the chest, throwing him into the back wall. Looking up his heart sunk…looming over him was a Rachnera…a spider-Grimm more than twice the Alpha Beowolf's size. The general hesitated a moment too long, considering how a Grimm native to the deserts of Menagerie could be there at Beacon. In that instant, a string of webbing shot from its putrid mandibles…sticking his left hand and pistol to the ground.

Ironwood struggled, the webbing slowly giving way to his strength…but it was taking too long as the Grimm scuttled at terrifying speeds towards its immobilized prey. Esmerelda was pinned down dealing with the diminishing Creeper and Beowolf numbers…she couldn't make it in time.

The Rachnera screeched in pain as a shape darted out of the nearby entrance, in the blink of an eye one of its legs tore away from its body, flying over the nearby railing. Mrs. Mane rocketed past the general's field of vision on her hard-light skates as she circled back around at incredible speeds…her chainsaw revving to claim another leg.

The arachnid-Grimm turned to face the new threat…now blind to the one coming up from behind despite its disturbing number of eyes.

Mr. Mane leapt high, bringing his fist down hard on the monster's back. The Rachera was a powerful monster to be sure, but with its immense size coupled with the thinner legs…all it would take is sufficient force from above to crush it under its own weight. His left grey fist had noticeably expanded, now being encased in pure stone. With a sickening crash the Rachnera crumpled to the ground, cracking it from the impact. Roland's father wound up, his follow up sending the battered beast sailing over the edge…the last of the Grimm they could see.

Civilians and students were sobbing as the remaining soldiers helped who was still standing to the ships…they had to get out before more showed up…why would Grimm be aboard airships? At last all of the Vytal Tournament teams had reached the dock, having cleared the way there of every foe they spotted while Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck had remained behind to deal with the Griffon swarms.

"Wh-what's going on?" Ruby asked Ironwood, the rest of the students looking on for an answer as well.

Ironwood sighed; looking out over their expecting faces…this was no time to coddle them.

"Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang have invaded Beacon with an army of mutated abominations and to make matters worse some…vagabond has seized my ship! Until we regain command…the skies are out of our control. So I'm…"

Drawing his pistol once more Ironwood aimed over the children's heads, picking off a Creeper that had been overlooked sneaking up on them.

"Going to take it back."

"What can we do sir?" Jaune asked, stepping forward confidently.

Ironwood could not help but smile weakly at his determination. "You have two choices: Defend your kingdom and this school," he motioned towards an Atlesian Bullhead loading up what soldiers remained heading back to Beacon. "Or save yourselves," he pointed to a civilian craft preparing for takeoff…the last one remaining in the stadium. "No one will fault you if you leave."

Ironwood looked over the crowd, finally spotting Cameron among them, how heartbroken the young boy must b…

"Penny?" Ironwood rushed past everyone upon spotting her head cradled in the young man's arms. It took every ounce of his military discipline to resist embracing her remains. She smiled awkwardly as he approached them.

"Hello sir…please pardon my lack of a salute."

"You're…alive…"

"Thanks to Cam…yes sir."

"We need to get you to the Galinda," Ironwood ordered, the sight of his daughter in such a state pushing his anger past its breaking point despite the indescribable joy he felt that she had survived the fight. "You can be repaired there."

Penny smiled weakly as he patted her head, looking up at Cameron.

"You…have my eternal gratitude Mr. Hunter," Ironwood smiled. "Come with us, and know that I will do EVERYTHING in my power to repay you for this."

"As long as we get Penny the help she needs…I don't need anything else sir."

LET'S MOVE OUT!" Ironwood called to his personal troops with a final heartfelt smile, turning towards his airship with Cameron and Penny close behind.

"With all due respect sir!" Esmerelda stepped forward with a salute. "You look like you can use all the help you can get. Permission to come aboard!"

Ironwood looked the girl over, she had fought admirably in the battle, put others safety over her own…he'd even heard a compliment or two from Winter the previous day on her impressive discipline.

"Granted."

Esmerelda turned to her teammate with a smile. "I'll help retake the general's ship and meet the rest of you on the ground."

Olivia looked as if she were about to cry for a moment, they were splitting up again which she had learned to dread. Recomposing herself, she pulled her childhood friend in close for a hug. "Just…stay safe Ezzy…please."

Esmerelda returned the hug, brushing a lock of oddly-white hair among Olivia's blonde out of her eyes…had that always been white? With that final squeeze Esmerelda broke away, jogging inside Ironwood's personal bullhead before the doors closed…pulling away from the stadium. The remaining students all glanced between each other, clearly contemplating Ironwood's choices.

"Really guys…like we could do anything else," Sun finally shattered the silence. He said what assuredly all were already thinking…as if they could abandon the school. They each nodded in agreement; rushing for the bullhead almost packed and prepared to enter the warzone that had become Beacon Academy.

Behind the nearby building, a familiar face peaked out, unwilling to reveal himself with the presence of so many Atlesian knights. They were likely still set to consider him an enemy…he could help…but he had to be careful.

"If one landing strategy works…" Horatio muttered to himself as he dropped over the side of the stadium, falling like a stone towards Beacon below.

 **Airship**

"And this one…and this one…" Roman continued pressing every button he could find fully aware of what each one did. Already he had cleared out every Atlesian Command Vessel in the skies around Beacon and was in the process of picking off what few fighters and combat bullheads remained…the Grimm were utterly uncontested.

The clack of high-heeled shoes diverted him from his fun; Neo was coming up behind him, holding out a black scroll with her ever cheery smile.

"Ho ho ho, thank you Neo…I have a feeling this button…is gonna be fun." With an almost giddy smile Roman sunk the scroll into the ships main interface…a familiar black queen chess piece on a blood-red backdrop shimmering to life across all screens.

 **Vale…**

A particularly large Deathstalker was sent flying, blasted back by an invisible force courtesy of Glynda Goodwitch. She and Qrow had arrived in the city just in time; Grimm roamed the streets and were attacking anything that moved. Even with the knights pulling their weight…they were dreadfully outnumbered. She had lost count of how many she had personally slain.

A platoon of knights had succeeded in wiping out a pack of Beowolves, Qrow and Glynda provided cover safely behind them. Suddenly, the platoon stopped as they had the remaining packs on the run. The experienced fighters paused their attack, glancing to each other confused.

The blank, black faceplates of the knights suddenly flickered, shifting to match the sinister red background of the virus that had claimed their command channels. In a quick disciplined motion the entire platoon about faced…bringing their weapons to bear on the team.

"What?" Glynda uttered in complete shock. Why were Atlas' troops turning on them?

Before the troop could fire their heads exploded, a lightning fast form darting past and decapitating them in an instant.

"This is bad…"

"Ice Queen!" Qrow called out as Winter rushed over to them. "What are you doing here?"

Ironwood's right hand woman stretched her arms, clearly having been fighting for quite a while. Her long coat was gone to reveal the blue vest beneath though her red brooch still shimmered at her neck.

"The Galinda has been compromised," she explained quickly. "Torchwick's allies have taken command, I was…unable to stop them. It seems they are using their access to the network to hijack the knights and paladin's mutual behavioral processes.

"Jimmy…linked his tin men together with one brain?" Qrow demanded, completely beside himself. "Of course THAT could never go poorly!"

"We can discuss this later," Glynda interrupted before further infighting could spark. "Ozpin needed us to protect the populace…we have to hope the general can retake his ship…"

 **Ironwood's Airship…**

Cameron had Penny resting on his knee in the back compartment of the ship. No matter how long he kept her safe…holding his girlfriend's head just seemed…off-putting. Ironwood was in the front with Esmerelda. The turrets on the ship seemed able to hold the bulk of the Grimm at bay. At the current speed they'd be at the Galinda in no time.

"So where to once we are onboard?"

"I believe General Ironwood will want to make for the bridge…we can take the first elevator from…"

"Nono," Cam corrected. "Where do we go to get you better?"

"Once…the ship is retaken…that would be the engineering bay. Father made certain to have the equipment onboard in case of an emergency."

"Your father…do you mean the general?"

"Not just him," Penny smiled. "I count myself lucky to have two fathers!"

Cameron opened his mouth to question further, but never got the chance. The ship suddenly lurched more than from mere turbulence.

"NO!" They heard Ironwood call from the cockpit before a thundering explosion sent Cameron flying into the wall.

"What is going on?" he asked as the ship spiraled out of control.

"The internal stabilizer seems to be damaged," Penny answered calmly despite the situation.

Cameron staggered towards the front of the ship, there must be an explanation. Hitting the button for access he opened the door leading forward.

The sight of mayhem greeted him. In the front Ironwood and Esmerelda were grappling with a dozen knights, much of the ships regiment from the look of it. The faceplates of their former mechanical protectors shimmered an eerie red as they turned on their allies and creators. The control panels were destroyed; no way of piloting the ship…and the ground was coming up fast.

Thinking of nothing but getting Penny to safety, Cameron leapt to the side, rolling inside one of the few escape pods remaining. The rest of the soldiers not trapped in battle aboard seemed to be clamoring for the remainder.

With a lurch the pod launched, rocketing Cameron and Penny away from the crashing vessel.

"Rotate axis 90 degrees!" Penny called out; Cameron swiftly complied, righting the tumbling pod. "Set coordinates to match." Cameron followed her orders, only realizing after they leveled out where she was intending to take them.

"You can still get us to the Galinda?"

"Affirmative, we have to terminate whatever program they are using to control the knights to help our friends."

"And the virus won't affect you?"

"Of course not," Penny giggled as their ship neared the Galinda not far off. "I am completely autonomous…it was one of the reasons my fathers made me…

 **Bullhead heading for Beacon…**

The students stared in horror as the engines of Ironwood's personal ship caught fire, sending the vessel spiraling towards the ground below.

"Ezzy!" Olivia cried out, punching the window at how useless she was being.

"Ruby, what are you doing?"

Olivia turned at Sun's words to see Ruby racing for the back of the transport, quickly she gave chase. To her shock Ruby leapt from the rear loading dock, with a quick burst of her semblance she cleared the distance back toward Amity Stadium. Spitting into her hands for some elbow grease Olivia mounted her rifle and leapt off after her. Firing off round after round the momentum carried her across the gap. She felt like one of the wicked witches from the fables riding her broom the whole way over.

"Olivia…you can't…"

"We stick together Ruby!" She interrupted, not wanting to hear it. "I know that look on your face…you have a plan…and I'm going to help!"

Ruby nodded, there being no time for arguments. She explained the plan as they rushed back the center of the arena…where the lockers Olivia had summoned before still remained. Ruby quickly hooked herself onto the closest as Olivia measured the distance between them and the Galinda, punching the proper coordinates in. Even if it wasn't precise they could still get close enough to jump.

"Ready?" She asked, jumping onto Ruby's back, holding tight as Crescent Rose tethered them to the locker.

"Let's do it!" Ruby replied with sheer determination, eyes narrowing towards the Galinda high above.

Punching the keypad, the rocket took off, flying towards the imposing command ship. The cold night air stung their faces and forced the girls to close their eyes all save the thinnest of slits to ensure they remained on course. The Grimm did not seem to perceive such a small target as a threat, the flocks of Griffons and Nevermores ignored them, continuing their assault on the defenders below.

"NOW!" Ruby shouted as the locker passed by the ship, threatening to overshoot it.

With a quick hop the two huntresses abandoned their impromptu vehicle, landing safely on the outer deck of the Galinda. The wind was much worse up top than they feared, requiring both to crouch down and prevent being whipped clean off into the sky.

"There will be a hatch between the third and fourth decks," Olivia shouted to Ruby over the wind. She had long since memorized the layouts of such vessels from the tours released in magazines. "Once inside we can…"

The two froze at the sight of someone standing outside the ship with them. It was a young woman wearing a color scheme dress matching her dark hair and white bow tying it into twin tails.

"Ray…" Olivia muttered, praying it wasn't what it appeared.

Her friend and member of Team CRMS looked almost sad as she raised her scroll, snapping a picture of the two. As she did her clothing, hair, even eye color shimmered and faded away…leaving Roman Torchwick's assistant Neo in her place.

 _No….nononononono,_ Olivia rampaged in her head much to the entertainment of her unwanted occupant. First Emerald…then Ruby informed her about Mercury…and Cinder's broadcast... _How many friends are going to stab us in the back tonight?_

 **Beacon Warzone, West Flank…**

Blake and Weiss were frantic; no matter which way they turned there were either more Grimm or knights. Since the mechanical soldiers had turned on them the Grimm had started ignoring them completely. If Beacon's defenders were ridiculously outnumbered before…the odds were astronomical now. The two stood back to back, their team attack Checkmate being all that had saved them more than once. They couldn't keep fighting like this, Weiss had her scroll set to listen for outgoing signals...and what they heard was not good. Much of Vale's armed forces had pulled back to defend the city…leaving them to defend Beacon themselves.

The students and soldiers from Amity Stadium had landed and spread out to defend key points. From the reports there were two major fronts on the east and west side of the grounds…both were equally being overwhelmed and needed help.

"We need to join the others," Weiss recommended to Blake. "I can take the west side if you can take the east."

"Understood, be careful," Blake stressed. With a final pat on the shoulder the two split up

Weiss glided through the air on her glyphs, the sound of intense fighting growing louder as she neared the defense line situated around the courtyard where they had their team picture taken. It was barely recognizable amidst the carnage and chaos. The area was filled with soldiers and students of all years, Weiss could make out third and fourth year uniforms among the fighting. Each one were valiant and strong, easily as skilled as RWBY, JNPR or HERO were and beyond. Weiss even spotted Teams ALMD, HALO and NDGO fighting among the melee.

And they were losing.

Wounded and dying littered the field, the bulk of the Grimm horde appeared to be the green mutated Beowolves and Creepers but more exotic species could be seen among them. Entire teams of men had to work together just to contain Rachnera's who spun their fellow soldiers into cocoons. The ones who could barely stand were trying to get the ones that couldn't back behind cover, what little there was left. Teams HALO and ALMD tore into the Grimm, doing as much damage as they could. Morrigan especially could take out entire lines with a single swing of her sword. Weiss began to fire into the horde as she scanned the field…spotting…

"Horatio!" She cried in relief. She had not seen him at the stadium and feared the worst. Team HERO's leader was cleaving through the Grimm. As she rushed to him he cracked the neck of an Alpha Beowolf before hoisting a volatile creeper into the air and chucking it…detonating in a pack stampeding towards the courtyard. "How did you get here?"

"Weiss!" he replied, nonchalantly backhanding an Ursa through a wall as he made his way to meet her. "You know me; I just…sort of dropped in. Are you okay…what about everyone else?"

"Long story, but things don't look good. The Grimm were let into the school by the White Fang, these are…"

"Merlot's doing," Horatio cut her off, more than familiar with his handiwork. What baffled his mind was how he could have produced such a force so quickly after losing his island. It was worse than the Breach by far. "They are too strong and too many, the others cannot hold out much longer." He motioned to their crumbling defense line, the unconscious or dying almost as numerous as those still standing. And he still had yet to find Cinder…but he couldn't just leave these men to their certain deaths.

"What choice do we have?" The two turned to the new voice. An exhausted Flynt Coal limped up to them, his voice hoarse and cracking from the continuous use of his trumpet. His suit was ruined again, blood stains could be seen bleeding through his white shirt and bruises covered his face. Nonetheless he remained standing. "If we collapse the Grimm will run right past us and the east sides flank will cave in…we have to hold to keep the school!"

"Flynt!" Weiss looked at his battered form concerned. "Are you…"

"I'm cool, better with you here Weiss," he smiled back suavely, clearly hiding his pain. "But we won't be fine for long, we need backup."

"There is none," Weiss informed him sadly as she summoned a barrage of ice on the nearby Grimm. "The scroll reports say that everyone available is fighting elsewhere. Reinforcements from Vale's army won't arrive until they've secured the city and that could take hours!"

 _I can't lose;_ Horatio grimaced as he roundhouse-kicked a Mutated Beringel so hard he took its head off. _The Grimm are mindless…all they do is throw themselves at me…I cannot lose…but at this rate…I can't win either._

"Fall back!" A nearby soldier at the entrance to the courtyard shouted, having spotted something the others did not see yet. "Get clea…"

The front gate to the courtyard exploded, the massive form of a Grimm so large it dwarfed the nearby buildings smashed through it, crushing the beloved fountain beneath its feet. Flynt, Weiss and Horatio all looked up in awe at the new foe…a Goliath with ominous green tusks. Glowing crystals crackling with energy littered its backside, matching eyes staring right through them with malice…fury…and intelligence gleamed over centuries of life.

 **Cafeteria…Near the East Flank…**

Blake cracked another White Fang soldier across the face, sending them sprawling to the ground. Their numbers were few…her guess was only as many as were needed to ensure the mutant Grimm arrived were sent. While en route to the Eastern Flank where many of the other students were fighting she spotted a large Alpha Beowolf racing towards the cafeteria. Fearing it may try to sneak attack her friends Blake gave chase.

A weak whimper drew her attention as the beast disappeared up and over the roof, recognizing the sounds Blake gave up pursuit.

"Elf?" She knelt beside the wounded Dire-Labrador, nursing a deep sword wound in her gut. She would survive but clearly needed medical attention and time to get back on her feet. Blake took off her black vest, wrapping it tightly around her wound. "Where are Cinnamon and Casey?"

The hound weakly motioned her snout towards the cafeteria, letting out a low growl.

"I'll get them, just rest here for now," Blake assured her as she rushed towards the building.

The young Faunus girl could hardly believe it was the same place they'd had their food fight only a few weeks earlier. The windows were all shattered without exception; most of the structure was aflame and wouldn't stand much longer. The sickening smell of burning wood, food and metal assailed the heightened senses of her nose but she ignored them as she looked for the children.

"Go away!" Cinnamon was picking up scattered food, debris and trays and was chucking them towards their assailant…a tall man with red hair walking menacingly towards them. Casey was huddled behind her hiding, trembling like a leaf.

"Oh no…" Blake's heart sunk as she recognized the monster moving towards the girls. Against her better judgement she screamed at the top of her lungs to draw his attention away. "Adam!"

The attacker stopped, turning around to face her…the most sinister of smiles stretching across his Grimm-masked face. He had a pair of black horns protruding from his red-hair…his hand never left the blade at his hip. He hadn't changed a bit since the last time Blake had seen him…her former commander before she'd fled the White Fang…the man she at one time had thought of as…

"Hello my darling," he replied. "I was just looking for you."

"Cinnamon…t-take your sister and run," she commanded, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

Adam drew a pistol and trained it on the two girls, causing them to freeze once more.

"Ah ah ah," he tutted. "Now why would I want to allow a pair of humans to escape to assuredly come back for me seeking vengeance someday?"

"Because…because if you kill them," Blake threatened, somehow finding the courage to hold her ground. "Then I disappear again…and you will NEVER find me a second time. Let them go…and we can settle this."

Adam stared her down, his grin somehow widening even more. After an uncomfortable terrifying couple of seconds he uncocked his pistol and holstered it.

"Run you brats…let the Grimm be the ones to take you."

Cinnamon grabbed Casey, sticking her tongue out at Adam with the most intimidating scowl she could muster before rushing out a nearby shattered window…making for where Blake had left Elf.

"Now then sweetie," Adam continued, drawing his sword and starting a slow…threatening walk towards her. "Where were we?"

 **East Flank…**

Jaune and Pyrrha hooked their shields together, slamming into a rampaging Sabor before it could reach the line of soldiers laying down suppressing fire behind them. The enormous Lion-Grimm roared and snapped at them over their shields, a swift stab from Jaune's blade ended its threat.

Most of the students who had arrived from Amity Stadium were gathered. Neon Katt raced through the square trailing a pack of Boarbatusks having already lured a handful into crashing into walls or other obstacles. Team BRNZ held back the renewed surge at the frontlines, their resident sniper May Zedong taking pot shots from behind the barricades alongside the other Atlas soldiers and Nadir of Team ABRN. The worst were the Paladins…for the newer models provided by Winter Schnee required no pilots and thus were as susceptible to the mysterious virus as the rest. The heavily armored mechs took a small platoon to bring down…leaving more room for the Grimm to sew chaos.

Bolin led the remainder of Team ABRN, their leader still unaccounted for as she hadn't been at the stadium. He and Reese fought together, keeping the Grimm back as much as they could. Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren stood beside them…ready to continue.

Coco and Team CFVY tore through the Grimm, Yatsuhashi and Fox providing cover. Velvet assisted them alongside Team CRDL, their leader ever by her side. Cardin's head had been bandaged, a concussion most likely from the explosion he had shielded Velvet from. Despite his injuries he refused to stand down as long as the battle raged. He would not let Velvet fight alone. With a savage blow from his hammer he crushed a nearby Creeper, scattering the rest as they sought another venue of attack.

In that brief moment of respite, Pyrrha saw him…Professor Ozpin standing at the base of Beacon Tower. He did nothing but stare, eyes locked squarely with Pyrrha Nikos…the next Fall Maiden. Without a word Pyrrha understood and rushed to meet up with him as he turned to head inside…there was much work to be done.

"Where's she going?" Nora asked, noticing the red-haired Spartan's departure.

"I'll go find out," Jaune volunteered in an instant. "You two stay here and keep fighting as long as you can."

With that final word he took off after her, entering Beacon Tower uncertain as to what they could possibly want within. Ever since the CCT System had been knocked out the lights were dark…no one living inside as far as he knew.

 **Rooftops**

"It's…almost sad," Emerald murmured as she and Mercury surveyed the fire engulfing Beacon Academy. The two had found a vantage point above the chaos with Beacon Tower looming in the distance, a perfect view of the battlefield before them. Cinder was supposed to meet them there but was nowhere to be found.

"How goes the show?" Their leader's voice crackled over Emerald's scroll.

"It is something else," Mercury grinned as he recorded the battle from their vantage point, fully aware the video would be broadcasting worldwide.

"Excellent, focus on the Atlesian knights most of all…and don't miss a thing."

"Where are you?" Emerald dared to ask. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is proceeding ahead of schedule…as expected, my knight seems to have escaped his captors but regrettably is nowhere to be found. Do keep an eye out for him won't you? I have a sleeping princess in the tower to wake."

"Oh, I'm catching everything," Mercury sneered. He could only imagine how much better it would have been if Torchwick hadn't sprung the Mountain Glenn trains early…Vale would have been utterly surrounded. "More White Fang are recording the attack on the city as well. If I see lover boy I'll send him your way."

"Well done, and keep the broadcast going right until the end. You do NOT want to miss the next part.

 **Near the Cafeteria…**

Yang pummeled another Ursa into the dirt, her anger utterly boiling. Roland, Arslan and she had been checking every place in Beacon they could think of in search of his little sisters. Together they had eliminated countless Grimm…yet saw no sign of them. They were heading to meet up with Blake and Weiss to continue looking.

"Cinnamon…Casey!" Roland called out, finally spotting the girls and a wounded Elf running from the cafeteria building. Kneeling down he scooped them both up into a great hug, doing his best to hold back tears of joy.

"Rolly! Cinnamon started, her face red and flushed from recently dried tears. "Yang's friend is back there…she saved us but you have to help her!"

"Which friend?" Yang rushed forward to kneel beside them as Arslan watched for any attackers. Only after asking did Yang spot Blake's bloody vest wrapped around Elf.

"The pretty one with black hair…a mean man is in there with her…she stayed to save us!"

Without a word Yang ran ahead, making for the building in the distance.

"Yang…!" Roland cried out before realizing it was pointless. He had to ensure the girls safety first. Whistling sharply he beckoned Elf to his side, the great Dire-Labrador licked his face, clearly overjoyed to see him. Ignoring her affections he gripped the sides of her face and stared her right in the eyes. "Elf…Mission Assignment: VIP Extraction, Priority One!"

Her training kicked in, at the verbal commands Elf stood up to her four legs, head held high and awaiting further orders while ignoring the wound to her side. Without wasting a moment Roland hoisted his sisters onto her back, pushing them down so they could grip her core tightly.

"Mission parameters: escort them to the airship dock, the area is secured and mom and dad are waiting…DO NOT stop for any reason until they are safe…DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Elf replied with a nod and quick lick to his nose…her face full of concern for her owner.

"Don't go, please!" Casey finally rediscovered her words, gripping Roland's arm. "If you come back…we'll…we'll give Yang a passing score! Perfect marks…we swear!"

Roland returned the squeeze with a brotherly smile, planting a soft kiss on each of their foreheads before pulling her hand from his shoulder and hooking it around Elf's waist.

"GO!" he screamed with a smack to Elf's hindquarters…sending the enormous hound racing off full sprint towards the docks beyond…all Grimm between them and freedom cleared for the time being.

"Let's go!" He called out to Arlsan, barely preventing his voice from breaking as he heard his sisters cry his name behind them. At last the two headed towards the cafeteria and the mysterious man who had threatened his family.

 **The battle rages around them, Beacon and Vale burn, friends and family are separated amidst the tide of Grimm and traitorous metal…Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	34. Battle For Beacon: Fall Back

**The Battle for Beacon reaches its apex, the beleaguered defenders desperate to drive back the horde of monsters that have clawed their way to the doorstep of the Academy…**

"Up ahead, take the first right," Penny advised, guiding Cameron on the fastest route to the bridge. "The central interface would be the most efficient location to implant the virus."

Cameron did not like the situation, everywhere they went there was more death…from the look of it not one of the entire crew had made it off and the hall was littered with bodies.

"Past the ships main hold you can…CAM LOOK OUT!"

Cameron barely ducked in time to avoid an immense industrial chainsaw that had been poised to take his head clean off. Despite the threat to his life he held Penny's head closer, making it the priority. From around the corner, a giant man wearing a White Fang mask stepped out, he easily had a head or more on the young huntsman.

"I missed one, how unfortunate," he boomed, revving the chainsaw for another swing.

Cameron unbound his cane again, infusing its length with lightning dust he lashed out, wrapping around the giant's left bicep. He was soon enshrouded in energy…despite the amount of dust flowing into him, the White Fang Lieutenant seemed to be hardly feeling it. Without missing a beat he stabbed forward, Cameron barely scrambled out of the way in time before the weapon lodged itself in the wall.

"His pain threshold appears to be quite high," Penny pointed out.

"Sorry…could use a BIT less obvious information!" He replied, trying to maintain his calm despite the situation.

"Your chances of winning in a forward standard engagement are approximately 1.35% at best."

"I said LESS Obvious!"

The Lieutenant succeeded in freeing his weapon from the wall, with a frustrated growl he ran at him again, the cramped hallway slowing down his large frame being the only reason Cameron was still alive.

"The main hold!" Penny cried out.

Cameron rolled beneath the chainsaw, the bladed instrument glancing off his leg, his aura the only thing preventing him from losing a limb. Trying not to focus on his imminent death the young pilot dove into the large doors, slamming them shut with a quick blow to the control panel.

"Now what?" He asked as the clear grinding sound of metal against metal could be heard outside. "That door won't hold him long! That is an Atlas high-grade chainsaw capable of…"

"Cam…I understand you are frustrated, but if you would just look in front of you I believe you will notice…"

He complied with her request…eyes watering with joy at the sight before him.

 **Galinda Outer Hull…**

Ruby fired Crescent Rose before following up with a devastating chain of swings all aimed at Roman's assistant. Olivia crouched low and took shots at her as the opportunities opened up; despite the two converging on the single enemy…not one attack could connect.

No matter what they tried, the nimble girl avoided, dodged or parried their strikes with the most graceful of moves. Her expression never changed or showed signs of effort…they were both utterly beneath her in terms of skill. After parrying her scythe with only her heels Neo cartwheeled backwards for some room. Simultaneously Ruby and Olivia took aim, firing their respective rifles after her, targeting where she would land.

Their rounds both struck her dead center, only for the short-statured fighter to shatter into glass before their very eyes. Her broken doppelganger fell away to reveal Roman Torchwick behind having reached the deck after being informed of the intruders by Neo. He released a burst of fire from his cane already brought to bear on the two huntresses.

The shot caught Ruby square in the chest, knocking her into a powerful gust of wind that threatened to carry her from the ship. The silver-eyed girl barely managed to bury her weapon into the metal roof, anchoring her to the vessel. Torchwick strolled up to the defenseless girl as she held on for dear life.

"Ruby!" Olivia shouted with concern.

As she attempted to rush to her aid, a familiar pink parasol struck her in the face, her vision blurred as she swung her rifle to counter the follow-up. Neo had cut her off, determined to keep them apart.

"Neo…Ray?" Olivia called out in frustration. "You were with them…the whole time?"

Neo frowned but did not stop her assault, cracking Olivia in the side of the head with a heel before slipping her umbrella under her legs and taking them out from under her. Olivia rolled as soon as she hit the ground, dodging a sword thrust that pierced the hull. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Ruby back on her feet, blasting away from Roman attempting to catch Neo unaware.

She did not succeed.

Neo vaulted backwards over the approaching huntress, kicking her in the back and knocking her to the ground where Olivia was able to steady her. Having recomposed themselves they looked up, staring down Torchwick and Neo side by side.

"But…WHY?" Ruby cried out, continuing a conversation she'd started with the well-dressed villain. "What do you get out of it?"

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red," he shouted over the raging wind from how high up they were. "It's not what I have to gain…it's that I can't afford to lose!"

"I am pretty sure the Grimm don't care that you're helping them!" Olivia chimed in. "They'll kill you regardless!"

"Not this time Blondie," he retorted, set on reducing the women to their base colors. "I have a get out of jail free card with them…and it only lasts as long as I follow orders."

Ruby shot towards him before another word could be exchanged. Olivia covered her, firing the largest bullets she had towards them. As before, Neo simply parried her shots, her umbrella nigh indestructible. Seamlessly, she blocked one of Olivia's rounds before spinning, hooking Crescent Rose's blade into the groove of her high heels. With a simple tug she wrested the weapon from its owners grip and with a follow-up spinning kick sent Ruby flying towards the edge.

Olivia thought fast as Ruby went flying past her, grabbing the butt of her rifle and stretching she provided JUST enough reach for Team RWBY's leader to grab hold.

"I may be a gambling man," Torchwick added suavely, clearly not taking their fight very seriously with Neo nearby. "But even I know there are some bets you just don't take."

"Ruby," Olivia gasped once she was securely on the ground again. Not wanting to admit it, she had to recall that this was the girl who had overwhelmed even Yang in single combat. "I don't mean to be the voice of pessimism here…but I think she is waaaaay out of our league."

"Like it or not," he continued. "The people who hired me are going to change the world. You can't stop em…I can't stop em…and you know what they say. If you can't beat em…join em!"

"I don't care…what you say!" Ruby replied with absolute determination. "We will stop them…and we WILL stop you…BET ON THAT!"

Olivia saw her friend's intentions and moved in tandem with her. Upon finishing her speech Ruby took off towards Torchwick as fast as her semblance would allow. At the same time Olivia converted her rifle into the mace and pistol, rushing the much closer Neo with a barrage of suppressing small-arms fire.

Ruby caught the redhead in the leg, forcing him to his knees. It was only a feint however; as soon as she got close enough to hit him again he had his cane ready. The blast caught Ruby in the chest and sent her into a nearby wall. Ruby tried to stand…but Torchwick wouldn't allow it, cracking her again and again with his cane in between each sentence.

"You got spirit, Red, but this is the real world! The real world is cold. The real world doesn't care about spirit!"

Ruby managed to roll away, nailing Torchwick in the gut with a kick. He staggered but not by much, the young huntress was barely a threat without her weapon still embedded in the deck too far to reach.

"You wanna be a hero?" Torchwick called out again. His voice had become harsher, as if he had a real gripe with their conversation. "Then play the part and die like EVERY other huntsman in history! Just go out there and 'save the world,' sure you won't take into account yourself…you're too SELFLESS for that. Get yourself killed fighting things we can't beat! Go ahead and die and leave behind your friends…family…your brats barely old enough to…"

Before he could finish his sentence Torchwick's gaze fell on Neo in the distance still fighting Olivia. An old memory flashed in his head of a young girl. Recently orphaned, she had actually tried to steal food at the same time he was in the middle of his own robbery she had been that hungry. When he'd confronted her she didn't even try to run…just silently offered the remaining half-melted ice cream cone despite her hunger. For the first time since Torchwick could recall…he smirked genuinely at the memory of her smile and the day he'd found the only other person he could rely on. Due to her lack of input he'd named her after that very ice cream himself.

Even Ruby was confused by his sudden distraction…so much so that neither noticed the beak of a rather large Griffon looming over him until it was just about to strike…

Across the ship, Olivia had succeeded only in keeping Neo at bay using the explosions from the head of her mace and semi-automatic fire. As of yet she had still failed to land a single hit.

 _She saved my life!_ Olivia screamed in her head. _I owed her my life…and now she wants to kill me!_

 _ **Let me do it, I can fight better anyway. I told you that Ray was too good to be true…**_

Olivia shook her head, infuriated that she was hearing her more clearly. Using her to stop Emerald must have opened something.

 _I'm not you_ , she asserted, dodging another swing from Neo. _We have the same fighting skill, you're just more ruthless. There's a difference. I owed her my life…she was…my friend…I…_

Olivia reconnected her weapon together into a rifle, loading one of her few remaining dust rounds. With sheer frustration and rage in her face she fired squarely at the fast-approaching attacker. As expected, Neo dodged to the side…only then noticing the Griffon looming over the man she cared for most in the world. Not even she could make it in time.

But Olivia did…she had not been truly aiming at Neo, but rather the Griffon behind her. In a staggering explosion the bullet blasted the Grimm's head clean off before it could devour the criminal mastermind, its body slumped over and slid off the ship taken away by the wind. Torchwick stared confounded as Neo rushed over to him, patting him up and down as if to ensure he had no injuries. After a few seconds he waved her off, embarrassed by her treatment.

"Did…did that thing almost…?" He asked, answered swiftly by a nod from Neo. "That literal WITCH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "She actually tried to double cross me…ME!?"

Neo nodded again. In the confusion Olivia had retrieved Crescent Rose, tossing it to Ruby as the two stood ready for another fight.

"Why…did you do that?" Ruby asked, Torchwick and Neo similarly looking at her, utterly baffled as to why she just saved him.

"Because," Olivia sighed. "I owed a friend a favor." Her eyes locked on Neo, smiling as serenely as she could…though the gesture came off more solemn from all they had witnessed that night. Neo looked genuinely shocked at her reasoning, for a brief moment her eyes flashed green…the last time Olivia would see her friend Ray…

"I give that…THING the best weeks of my criminal life…work with the scary excuse for her daughter and THIS is how she repays me!?" Torchwick continued to shout, now completely ignoring the two girls. "That's it…I'm done, Neo…we're leaving!"

Olivia and Ruby's faces flattened in shock. After all they'd been through, all they'd fought for…they were just leaving?

"Is he allowed to do that?" Ruby asked.

Neo rushed up to Torchwick, wrapping her arms around him and holding aloft her parasol. Roman similarly hooked one hand around her waist.

"Good luck Red…Blondie," he tipped his hat to them. "Thanks for saving my life and all….buuuut I still hope you both meet an untimely end. If you happen to make it, do stop by Vacuo sometime…I'll be certain to finish the job, ta ta!"

With a quick peck on the cheek from Neo she opened her umbrella, the wind catching it in an instant and sending the two sailing off into the night. As before the Grimm seemed to ignore their departure either from not noticing their presence…or from knowing better.

"Did…did we win?" Olivia asked, Ruby could only shrug. "Let's get inside…we still need to shut down that virus!"

 **Galinda Lower Levels…**

The White Fang Lieutenant growled in frustration, refusing to believe his foolishness that he had allowed the runt to escape inside the ship's hold.

 _No matter…there is no way out of there except down…once I am inside he will regret delaying my mission…_

With a final push he completed his cut, finishing his entrance with a powerful kick, sending his haphazardly cut door flying inward. Ducking beneath the top he entered the main hold. Primary power was still down, emergency lights barely illuminating a few corners of the room. Despite this his prey was clearly visible. Cameron was leaning against a series of boxes across the room almost acting nonchalant about his impending death. The Lieutenant lumbered over to him, stopping only a few feet away.

"Come to terms with your demise?" He boomed, his voice echoing in the enclosed space.

"Not really," Cameron replied calmly. "Still got plans…graduation, getting a chance to pilot a ship like this someday…maybe settling down with a nice girl."

"None of those things will come true…best accept that."

"You know," Cameron ignored his last sentence. "I can really respect Atlas; they are always moving forward yet never forgetting what came before. I was born there you know, they love repurposing old technology."

The White Fang member stared at him, confused as to how this pertained to their situation.

"For example…did you know the early models of Paladins had pilots and were separate from the network? I sure didn't…but do you know who did?"

The Lieutenant shrugged as he raised his weapon above his head…ready to strike.

"That nice girl I mentioned a minute ago."

On cue, the lights behind him burst to life, revealing the boxes Cameron had been leaning against were stacked to hide the legs of a First Series Model Paladin nearly identical to the one destroyed by Team RWBY, HERO and SSSN's attack on the White Fang warehouse. The cockpit was wide open, revealing Penny's head connected to the controls via a series of wires and cables. She was still smiling.

"I didn't know how to pilot one…but she did," Cameron admitted as he dropped to his stomach.

The Paladin lifted its left leg which had been obscured by the boxes, before he could react the metal foot punted the Lieutenant back into the reinforced door he had spent so long cutting through. He slumped to his knees, with renewed anger he revved up his chainsaw, standing back up he prepared to…

Any plan he had ended the moment the Paladin's enormous fist flattened him into the ground again and again…after the third strike he did not get up. For good measure Penny lifted up his unconscious form, wrapping him tightly within the mech's steel grip before locking it up and powering down. Cameron retrieved her carefully from the cockpit.

 **"** With any luck that will be the last of the resistance, let us make for the bridge with all haste."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Cameron tried to lighten the mood somewhat. "I don't think I can run fast enough."

"Oh silly," Penny smiled ever cheerfully. "You could run all you'd like…but I would find you."

Cameron's face flattened, an expression of restrained terror locking onto it.

"That…that was a joke…right Penny….right?"

 **Beacon Cafeteria…**

"So all it took was threatening some filthy human children to bring you back to me my love?" Adam goaded Blake as he stepped closer to her. Despite her best efforts Blake was unable to fully hide the look of terror on her face. "I should have done it sooner…"

"Why are you doing this?"

"You and I were going to change the world…remember?" Adam screamed, his speech clearly prepared ahead of time. "We were destined to light the fires of revolution! Consider this the spark…"

Blake could take no more, in a flash she flew towards her former love, clashing her weapon, Gambol Shroud against his terrifying blade. The bull-Faunus stopped her strike seemingly with little effort one-handed, sparks flying as she pushed against him to no effect. Blake's determination flared as she remembered the girls and what would happen if Adam caught up to them.

"I'm…not…running." The White Fang commander just sneered in reply, already pushing Blake back with a single hand.

"You will." With a strong kick he sent her flying into a nearby pillar, denting it due to the fire weakening its frame. "But NOT…before you suffer for your betrayal, my love."

Blake flew at him again, Adam swung to catch her, only for his blade to pass clean through her shadow double. The real Blake had bounded behind him, catching Adam in the back of the head. He staggered, but not enough, backhanding the airborne Blake backwards once more to the ground.

"This could have been OUR day!" He continued to roar, the months of frustration since Blake's abandonment of the White Fang flowing out of him all at once. "Don't you see that!?"

"I never wanted this!" Blake sobbed, barely able to stand up after his last hit. "I wanted equality…I wanted peace!"

As her former love neared she converted Gambol Shroud to its pistol form, unloading a clip directly at him. Despite their proximity, Adam raised his sword in time. To Blake's horror his blade and hair flared red in response, absorbing the blows to be used as energy for later.

"What you WANT…is impossible!" He roared back, slapping her clean across the face with the back of his hand. "But I understand…because all I want is YOU Blake." She attempted a second volley but he easily kicked the weapon from her grasp. "And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves…"

He loomed over her, he could kill her with a thought if he wished…but that wasn't on his mind in that moment. Purposefully taking his time he walked up to her body, kneeling before her.

"I will make it my mission…to destroy EVERYTHING you love." He waved his finger condescendingly in her face.

"Blake!" A familiar voice cried out in the distance from outside.

 _No…_

"Where are you!?" The voice called again, Yang's blonde form appearing outside the window dealing with the White Fang entourage Adam had traveled with. Blake's heart turned to ice at Adam's nightmarish smile that formed as a result of her appearance.

"Starting…with her."

 **Beacon East Flank…**

There was no end in sight as knights, Griffons and other Grimm of all breeds poured into the east flank currently being held by the students. They had barely been holding against the Grimm, once their own troops started to turn on them…it became hopeless.

Neon and Reese were keeping ahead of the packs, acting as distractions and relying on hit and run tactics for the larger foes. Scarlet and Sage were unconscious being dragged to safety by Cardin who was barely standing, his head wound not making things easier. For the meanwhile they were holding. That was until the next foe came barreling through them.

An upgraded Paladin, the latest model currently available bulldozed through Yatsuhashi and Nora who had been working together to hold them back. Spinning its torso 360 degrees it clotheslined Bolin and half of Team BRNZ. Coco led the barrage of support fire with Neptune, May and Nadir…but their combined barrage seemed to be doing little against its thick armor. Ren rushed to Nora's side, checking her for injuries as she groggily sat up.

And that's when the second Paladin appeared.

"Uh…this is bad!" Neptune pointed out; despite the lack of effect he did not stop firing.

"Well…I guess now's a better time than any," Coco sighed, turning to Velvet who had been fighting with her martial arts and was currently easing a wounded soldier down behind them. "Velvet!"

The rabbit girl gasped with unrestrained joy. "Really?"

"Just make them count," her leader confirmed with a nod.

Standing up straight and tall Velvet inhaled deeply, with sure, determined strides she made her way towards the Paladin duo.

"How could you send her in there?" Cardin groaned in pain, Coco caught him as he stumbled attempting to catch up with Velvet.

"Just watch," she smiled, fully aware of Velvet's capabilities.

Holding out her hand, a familiar looking scythe shimmered into existence. It was unmistakably Ruby's Crescent Rose though different. The weapon Velvet held almost looked like a skeleton…an outline of the original glowing bright blue.

"Hard-light energy," Cardin muttered, recognizing the obscure energy choice. He suddenly felt a little guilty for never having asked Velvet about her combat style beyond her martial arts.

Without hesitating, Velvet leapt into the air, her movements a spitting image of Ruby's. This part at least Cardin knew…her semblance allowed the Faunus girl to imitate any combat style she had witnessed previously though limited to what she could accomplish with her own body. He had never once considered her combining that with a device to copy her opponent's weapons. No wonder she restricted its usage as Hard-light energy was notoriously costly and didn't last long. With a single powerful overhead spin she slammed the scythe into the Paladin though it did little more than dent its armor.

Velvet wasn't close to finished, as the scythe disappeared, a new weapon materialized in its place…Weiss' Myrtenaster. Taking up the heiress' expert stance she blocked the mech's follow-up punch before moving in. With a series of rapid flourishes she impacted the Paladin's chest, cracks started to form from the compounding damage. Before hitting the ground she punched her opponent square in the chest…her next weapon already selected.

Jabbing outward, Velvet fired a barrage from Yang's Ember Celica; though the traitorous construct managed to block the attack with an undamaged arm it turned to swing at her. Velvet ducked beneath it, the next weapon; Blakes Gambol Shroud already in her hands. She ducked while latching onto the arm as it passed harmlessly over her head…spinning around it several times to tie up its legs with the long cord attachment. Leaping free she pulled hard, roping the giant's legs together and sending it toppling to the ground.

The second Paladin moved in, no longer in danger of damaging its ally…but Velvet saw it coming. Cardin was in absolute awe as she parried it, switching between every weapon she had witnessed through the year to systematically dismantle the formerly invincible juggernaut. He spotted Nora's hammer, Sun's staff…even Coco's machine gun was in her repertoire.

 _How was she ever afraid of me…?_

Velvet hopped up onto the back of the beaten and bruised Paladin, not realizing the first was slowly extricating itself from Gambol Shroud's restraints. Raising her arms, a familiar set of swords emerged from her back. Using Penny's blades, she sliced off the Paladin's legs, leaving it defenseless. Merging the weapons together, Velvet channeled Penny's most destructive blast which had been responsible for annihilating Dr. Merlot's prized specimen…the Paladin crumpled to the floor little more than a smoldering heap.

Off to the side, the second Paladin was up; while Velvet was distracted with her attack it motored her way, a colossal fist aimed for her head.

The attack never made it, a moment before it would have impacted, Cardin leapt from the sky having spotted it in time. With all his strength he slammed his mace with both hands down on its arm, managing to redirect its attack to crash into the ground harmlessly.

Velvet gasped in surprise, only now noticing the first foe's return. The Paladin stepped up to punt the now-grounded Cardin. Its attack was stopped as a familiar greatshield emerged between them, Velvet having materialized Roland's weapon of choice just in time. As the shield slowly disappeared, a ten-foot naginata took its place…Esmerelda's specialty. Letting it loose, the javelin impaled the Paladin's sinister glowing red eye, traveling through the entirety of the mech and emerging out the other side.

The two awaited a follow-up attack which did not come…after several seconds of holding its pose the sabotaged war machine toppled over, finally dead. Cardin pulled Velvet into a hug, thankful beyond words she was alright despite the battle still raging about them.

As the team smiled at their brief respite, hope dropped once more as an additional three Paladin's rounded the corner. Spotting the remaining defenders they started barreling towards them, weapon sensors already locked on.

Neptune groaned in frustration. "Oh come on!"

Before he could finish the Paladin's suddenly stopped before reaching them, freezing again as if contemplating their next action. To the amazement and relief of the students, the sinister red light blazing over their sensors and the faceplates of the remaining knights dimmed and faded to nothing. As they returned to normal the automaton constructs of Atlas turned, targeting the nearby Grimm once more. They were still outnumbered…but no longer despairingly so.

"They're…back to normal?" Neptune asked, gasping for joy that they wouldn't have to fight any more of them. "Who pulled that off?"

 **Galinda Command Deck…**

"Side railguns six through twenty running at peak efficiency," Penny reported as her head sat on the center console, a series of wires connecting her directly to the core computer. "Primary batteries will be at maximum charge within 82 seconds."

Ruby and Olivia burst onto the bridge; Cameron was sitting in the central pilot chair desperately plotting a course that would allow them to combat the Grimm flocks still assaulting the school. Once interfaced with the ship, Penny had disabled the virus infecting Ironwood's troops; they would no longer be a threat. They may have been down to a single ship…but that ship happened to be the pride of the Atlesian fleet.

"Penny!" Ruby cried as she threw her arms around her friend's head in a great hug. She squeezed tight, eliciting a blush from the young girl despite her decapitated state.

"I…am glad to see you safe Ruby. Your timing could not be more perfect! We need more hands on the guns."

Ruby and Olivia's eyes lit up at her words.

"We'll be within firing range soon!" Cameron called out, so focused on the console he barely acknowledged their presence. His confidence seemed to soar while he was at the controls of a good ship…and there were none finer than the Galinda. "The flocks have been thinned by the soldiers and huntsman down there…if we are careful we can clear the skies!"

The two huntresses took up seats in the larger chairs flanking Cameron's…targeting reticules powering up to give a perfect view of the skies over Beacon.

"Main batteries are charged Cam."

"Ladies…you may fire when ready."

Anyone who witnessed the Galinda sail into Beacon's airspace would never forget it. Great bursts of light from the weapon ports cut through the sky. Carefully aimed by those aboard they sliced through waves of Grimm assailing the defenders below. Entire flocks of Nevermore's and Griffons plummeted to the ground while the automated interceptors protected the ship from being overwhelmed.

The Grimm realized too late that what had been labeled as no further threat had reemerged, clearing great swathes of them from the skies. Most of their remaining numbers were forced from the ground, taking flight to deal with the newfound foe. A ship as large as the Galinda had very little in the way of evasive maneuvers, yet with Cameron Hunter at the controls even what little was available appeared to be more than sufficient. Despite the ship's mass he was able to rotate enough to even use the hull itself to smash Grimm daring to venture too close that managed to avoid the overworked interceptors. Air superiority was slowly turning in favor of the exhausted defenders.

Their hearts soared…until the ground began to quake.

Those fighting down below stumbled as a tremor rippled through the school felt even in Vale. Unbeknownst to those on the ground the quakes originated from Mountain Glenn itself, the largest of its mountainous peaks began to crumble as something fought and tore to claw its way to the surface. Due to the distance of the shattering peak, only those aboard the Galinda got a clear view of the newfound threat.

The cliff top exploded outward as the largest airborne Grimm anyone had ever seen spread its wings and roared to the heavens. Between its large bat-like wings, immense build rivaling even the Galinda and its horned Grimm-masked skull there was but a single word those aboard the Atlesian flagship could think to describe it.

A Dragon…

Taking flight, the new species of Grimm took off from the crumbling mountain top, making best speed towards the scent of the raw emotions of terror emanating from the battle mixed with Merlot's precious lure which still permeated the grounds…irresistible even to one so ancient…

Cameron's confidence plummeted as he slowly raised the visor allowing greater vision through the Galinda's sensors…unwilling to believe the sight before him unless he saw it with his own two eyes. Despite the great tracts of land between Mountain Glenn and Beacon, the behemoth was soaring faster than any airship and would be upon them within minutes.

"Ruby! Olivia!" He called out, scrambling to reposition the vessel. "We have a new primary target inbound! Penny! Get their batteries recharged and prepare for concentrated fire!"

 _This isn't fair,_ he sobbed silently beneath the issuing of commands. _It just isn't fair…_

 **Beacon West Flank**

Horatio wound up, impacting the Mutant Goliath square in the face. Despite his accumulated strength, combined with the power of his blow, the unnatural Grimm barely shook its head in annoyance, unharmed by his attack.

Weiss leapt atop his shoulders, catapulting towards the Goliath's head. With a roar she stabbed directly into its skull, firing off a burst of ice…it was not enough. The creature's reinforced cranium appeared to be too thick, the ice unable to make it to the vital organs inside. As she realized her attack had been ineffective the young ice-queen bounded off a tusk to safety.

The soldiers had attempted to assist at first, but it was obvious their rifles could do nothing against its hide. They had fallen back to the defense line with the rest of the wounded and were holding back the renewed horde that had accompanied the Goliath.

"How…can we stop it?" Flynt gasped. He did not have enough aura left to even attempt his quartet. Even blasting his trumpet as hard as he could he was barely drawing its attention. If it got past them, forget the east being flanked…they would be steamrolled.

"Its head is the only way," Horatio advised, remembering the in-depth courses of Professor Port. "Anywhere else would take the Galinda's firepower to drop…we NEED to find a way to pierce it."

"What do you suggest?" Flynt asked as the behemoth roared, swiping its trunk across the field. The three barely scattered in time to avoid it, the force of its attack tore up the patch of trees that had grown there for decades.

"You can use your sound to propel others, right? Like when you blasted Yang backwards during your match?"

"Of course."

"Weiss, try to slow it down," he strategized. "Flynt, if you can blast me as hard as you can I MAY be able to crush its head…unless you have a better plan?"

The two Atlas citizens shook their heads.

Horatio stomped his feet before taking off, he still had a good bit of power stored. If he used ALL of it he may have a shot…if Flynt's trumpet could pull it off.

Weiss danced through the air bouncing from glyph to glyph. With every new platform she fired a javelin of ice, encasing each of the Goliath's feet. She constantly had to reapply the holds as the Grimm's strength was monstrous and was continuously shattering its bindings. At best she was slowing it…but was unable to stop it.

Flynt inhaled deep, letting out the strongest blast from his trumpet he could muster, even going so far as to sprint towards Horatio to increase the force behind his attack. Horatio leapt at the exact moment before the shockwave caught him, carrying him along with his own jump spiraling towards the Goliath. He was so close.

He realized too late the intelligence of their enemy had been underestimated as the Grimm narrowed its eyes squarely towards him…clearly wise to their plan.

Swiping sideways, a putrid green tusk caught Horatio in the hip mid-jump, cutting his forward momentum and sending him flying through the nearby building. The young leader of Team HERO's only consolation was he succeeded in gripping the tusk as it struck him, snapping it off at the halfway point.

The Goliath roared in rage and pain, stomping back and forth, shattering the pavement and killing many of its own allies. Horatio had flown beyond its grasp and Weiss was keeping out of reach…but Flynt was still nearby panting heavily in exhaustion. He was barely standing with the mini-quakes being produced by its stomps. Heedless of anyone else involved, the giant swiped its trunk again, catching the off-balance huntsman in the torso. His aura clearly shattered along with several of his ribs, sending him tumbling into the broken remains of the fountain still spitting water into the air.

"FLYNT!" Weiss cried, Horatio had not yet extricated himself from the building. She was on her own. Growling in frustration she took off as fast as she could, desperate to reach him before the lumbering behemoth could finish its work.

In her desperate bid to reach him she almost didn't notice a massive glyph appear above her head. At first glance it was the same as the ones she utilized normally for her attacks…but within the snowflake designs were rotating blades…pulsating with untapped potential. Weiss was fast, but the Grimm was too far ahead. At their current pace it would reach Flynt first.

The building in the distance exploded as Horatio catapulted himself from the makeshift prison, sailing directly towards the Grimm. With impossible momentum he slammed into the Goliath's front-right leg, breaking its knee with a savage crunch. The Grimm staggered, collapsing to the ground in pain.

"Weiss!" Horatio shouted, echoing his words to her at the start of the year. "The final blow is yours!"

Weiss positioned herself between the staggering beast and Flynt, anger flaring in her eyes as she hurled herself at its forehead once more, behind her the Glyph burst with light. Weiss struck the Goliath's forehead dead center once more…Myrtenaster remaining as ineffective as the first at reaching the Grimm's inner workings.

The Grimm roared in pain, its brain impaled fatally, it was unable to move…slumping down in death. Weiss had closed her eyes before the impact, hesitantly she opened them, glancing up.

Emerging from the glyph behind her was a familiar massive greatsword. The same once wielded by a suit of armor in her family mansion. The blade had pierced the skull with ease, possessing the strength and reach to puncture the sensitive brain deep within the armored skeleton. She barely had time to comprehend the partially successful summon she had pulled off before it shimmered out of existence. Curiously, her foe disintegrated as well, though it vanished in a flash of white and blue light rather than the normal black associated with the demise of Grimm.

She didn't have time to consider the ramifications. Quickly she and Horatio rendezvoused with Flynt; he was alive but clearly had no fight left in him. As they had dealt with the leader of the attackers their remaining allies seemed to have the hordes under control, none had breached the defense line once during their battle.

"Guess I looked…pretty bad," Flynt groaned half-conscious as Weiss reached him.

"Sh-shut up," she blushed. "You did excellent."

Alas their victory could not last…such was the planning of the enemy arrayed against them.

A bone-chilling roar cut through the air, looking to the sky they caught sight of the source of the quake they had withstood previously. The enormous Grimm-Dragon soared over the skies, the remaining flocks of Griffons and Nevermore clustering around it into a terrifying flight. Upon closer inspection it seemed that great drops of an unknown black fluid were dripping from the flying fortress, plummeting to the ground below.

Wherever the alien substance fell, a great puddle was formed…but from within its depths seemed to be a great black void impossibly deep. From each puddle emerged Grimm of all shapes and sizes, there seemed to be no limit to the ones that crawled forth from their dark depths. Their only consolation was that each puddle seemed capable of only spawning a single monster...but there were so many. Within a matter of seconds the paths leading to their courtyard were swarming once more…their previous hard work already undone.

 _Is that...how Grimm are born?_

Horatio scanned over their forces, they couldn't do it...he didn't see how. No matter what angle, strategy or miracle from on high…nothing he saw could turn the tide. More than half the soldiers were down, the students were worse off. Bodies littered the battlefield; Horatio recognized many of them…so many 3rd and 4th year uniforms stretching across all four academies. Many were already dead, he could tell that even from their distance…they had fought with everything they had…and it wasn't enough. He had painted many of them over the previous weeks…he knew their faces all too well. He spotted Morrigan carrying an unconscious Durian through the carnage…at least he hoped he was unconscious, the tears in her eyes were not reassuring.

 _How can Huntsman and Huntresses win like this?_

"Weiss…take Flynt and get everyone out of here."

"What?" She asked, still supporting the young man's body with her own.

"We…we can't win against unlimited reinforcements." He explained desperate for her to understand. "If we stay here more people will die…we…need to focus on survival. Get everyone here who is still alive back to the docks…they must be secured or else we would have been attacked from that quarter."

"But if we pull out then the East side will…"

"I'll hold them here," he asserted without a hint of pride. "Get word for them to pull out too, my scroll is busted, I can't transmit. With luck I can keep them busy until then or at least slow down the bulk of the horde. We can coordinate with the Vale military to retake the school later."

"But…"

"Please, we don't have time…trust me," he smiled as genuinely as he could, but he was not a good liar.

"C-come on," Weiss motioned to Flynt, helping him towards the defense line motioning everyone to pull back. "Don't you dare die; I'll never forgive you if you do!"

"With a threat like that…I dare not disobey," Horatio smiled with a short bow. With a renewed yet forced smirk of vigor he clenched his fists, cracking as many knuckles as he could for posterity; it seemed the right thing to do. "Okay then," he muttered towards the horde stampeding towards him. "Who's first?"

 **Vale…**

A trio of Deathstalkers pushed into the main street; thankfully all the civilians they could reach had been evacuated. Behind them entire packs of Beowolves followed.

Qrow and Glynda were still fighting, Winter stood beside them making as much headway as they could. The forces of Vale had much of the city contained though it appeared until they made their way in further the three were fighting alone. Qrow had converted his enormous blade into an impressive scythe, the inspiration for Ruby's own weapon of choice all the more apparent. He could cleave even Sabors in two with a single swing…though it was slow and cumbersome, a poor match against the quicker Grimm…but he had aid for that. He stood back to back with Winter Schnee…between the two they were unmatched. Ruby's uncle handled the larger species of Grimm while the former heiress protected him from those that could race around him. Their defense was as impressive as Team HERO's.

Suddenly, a series of javelins emerged among the battle, slicing through Beowolves left and right. As their numbers dropped, powerful gunshots rang true, shattering the armor of the first Deathstalker, those behind following suit.

General Ironwood, now with his uniform coat torn off and battered emerged from the smoke. Without his shirt it was revealed much of the right half of his body had been replaced with mechanical prosthetics. Glynda remembered those sorrowful days in which he had received such grievance wounds. Any Grimm that ventured too near was swiftly backhanded away, his left hand held the impressive pistol he preferred, picking off anything he could.

Esmerelda danced about him, guiding her weapon clones into the swarm. The two of them had managed to survive the Bullhead crash by leaping clear as it grew nearer to the rooftops below. She covered the General, allowing him to move forwarded unimpeded. Between them and the other senior huntsman and huntresses the street was soon clear of Grimm. Rubble and debris littered the area…but no further enemies stirred.

"This area is secured," Ironwood proclaimed. Esmerelda took the moment to slump forward, panting in exhaustion.

"James?" Glynda asked, ecstatic he was alright but confused by his presence. "I thought you made it back to your ship."

"I was shot down by my own troops," he answered bitterly. "Ms. Moto and I have been fighting to locate another ship to board her."

"But the knights and Paladins returned to normal a few minutes ago," she explained. "If that wasn't you then who did it?"

Ironwood froze, completely puzzled, perhaps his crew had regained control. Pulling out his scroll he signaled the main bridge.

"Galinda, this is Ironwood. Please respond, has the ship been retaken, is anyone there?"

"Um…Captain Cam…the blue light is talking to me," he heard a high-pitched young woman's voice answer.

"Ruby?" Qrow called out, recognizing her in an instant."

"Uncle Qrow! Hi! You would not BELIEVE what I'm doing!"

"What are you doing aboard my ship?" Ironwood interrupted, being very confused.

"We are currently engaged with a previously uncatalogued species of Grimm," the voice of Penny interrupted as she accessed the communication system.

"We saw it," Ironwood grimaced. "But lost sight of it as it flew towards the school."

"Well…it's here," Ruby explained. "We got your ship back and Penny fixed whatever Torchwick did…but this thing is tough!"

The distant calls of Cameron Hunter shouting orders interrupted her. From the sounds of his voice the dragon was taking their best hits and still coming…was there truly a monster that could stand up against the Galinda's firepower?

"Our armaments appear to be insufficient General," Penny continued. The Grimm's scales are somehow reflecting all energy weapons targeting it and projectiles are insufficient to break its skin. We are taking heavy damage, I estimate…"

Before Penny could continue a tremendous explosion flooded the scroll line with static…they could get nothing else.

"Come in…Penny…come in!"

Qrow snatched the scroll from the general's outstretched hands. "Ruby, are you there!? So help me Rubes if you don't pick up right this instant…!"

"Ms. Moto, come with me." Ironwood approached the young girl as Qrow wrestled in vain with the scroll. With a quick motion he snapped off a piece of his general's bar that had survived his uniform's destruction. "We need to gather troops and coordinate with the local military; I am giving you a battlefield promotion to have seniority. Do you accept?"

"I…I do sir," she replied with a growing blush as he pinned the single square to her collar. "I won't let you down!"

"Glynda," he turned to her. "I…"

"I'm sorry James," she replied sadly. "I'll be needed in Vale with Ozpin…we need to…"

Ironwood did not let her finish, stepping close he gripped her hand, pulling her in to a passionate kiss, his face more determined than ever. Even Qrow took a few steps back to give them privacy, he had never seen Glynda blush so red or be taken by surprise.

"This is a promise," he whispered as he pressed something into her hands. "I…WILL be back, until then…hold onto it for me. We're marching out!" He called to Esmerelda as he suddenly broke their embrace, racing back through the streets to gather as many soldiers as he could.

"Hold onto what?" Qrow asked as the general disappeared with Esmerelda into the distance to continue the battle. He spotted her holding a small box she had opened and shut in a blink, immediately realizing what it was at the glimmer of an emerald gem situated atop a gold band.

"Oh James," she whispered, wiping away the tears before the old bird could see them.

 **Galinda Command Deck…**

Two simultaneous bursts of light erupted from the Galinda, striking the Grimm-Dragon in the torso, a clean hit. Despite the consecutive blasts, the beast appeared barely fazed, swinging around for another run. With each pass more of the putrid smoking liquid dropped from its body, spawning countless Grimm wherever they fell.

Ruby held onto a seat near Penny, blood trickled down her head from the explosion she narrowly avoided. Her weapon battery had been utterly destroyed during their aerial struggle…and Olivia was not faring any better.

"Not even the main guns can pierce that armor!" Olivia called out, despite her best efforts nothing was working. "Penny can I get any more juice?"

"All power reserves are at peak output without safety removal which would take far too long to…" The lone head paused as the dragon impacted the hull again, crushing several decks and throwing them about the bridge like rag dolls.

"That was the starboard engine!" Cameron called out. "We are losing altitude!" Flicking a number of switches he activated the auto pilot, practically throwing himself from the main seat. "There's nothing more we can do without a full repair team…we have to get out of here!"

At his words Olivia abandoned her post, the gesture of staying clearly pointless. Carefully she disconnected Penny from the central computer and tucked her under an arm for safety. Neo had made sure no one escaped the ship…they had plenty of escape pods to choose from.

"The Beacon Docks have been secured according to the radio chatter," Penny ever calmly informed as they sprinted across the deck. "There is more than enough fuel to get us there safely."

The three of them plus Penny's head piled into the closest sizeable pod meant for bridge crew evacuations. Olivia sealed them in with a pull of the lever, throwing its occupants into the walls as it lurched free. She took the controls, guiding their vessel towards the docks.

Ruby and Cameron looked out the rear window, watching the Galinda go down. Multiple explosions were visible across the hull; even the dragon had veered off, realizing it was no longer a threat as it flew for Beacon tower. To their horror the ship careened to port without the starboard engine to stabilize her. At full speed she slammed into the side of Amity Stadium floating as it had the entire tournament. The ship's explosion lit up the side of the structure in a blaze of fire and light…but it did not end there.

Whether Grimm continued to attack from within or the explosion had disrupted a vital component they would never know, however as the remains of the Galinda rained from the sky…so too did Amity Stadium. The amazing marvel of human engineering and ingenuity fell; pulled by gravity it dropped on top of the fairgrounds where they had enjoyed themselves not too long ago. The thunderous explosion sent turbulence through their pod, flattening the terrain and releasing a shockwave that would be felt for miles around.

The three could only stare and watch the sight…praying that there was no one still fighting there as their ship rocketed further from the catastrophe to the docks awaiting beyond.

 **Vault…**

The elevator reached the vault with a resounding chime. Barely waiting for the doors to open, the three rushed out led by Professor Ozpin. The Headmaster had allowed Jaune to accompany them upon seeing the young knight had noticed their departure. In the absence of Horatio…he would have to suffice as her Guardian for now.

"What is this place?" Jaune muttered to himself as they sprinted down the hall towards the pods and computer in the distance.

"It's…a type of vault," Pyrrha answered.

"You've…been here before?"

Pyrrha looked away, unable to answer.

"What would this school need to…hide?" Jaune started to ask before finally catching a good look at what they were running towards. His eyes scanned over the empty pod on the right and slowly panned over to the occupied one on the left. "What…?"

"Jaune…" Pyrrha started to explain.

"Pyrrha!" Ozpin shouted, snapping her out of her faze due to his use of her first name. "Get to the pod!" He pointed harshly at the empty one awaiting its occupant. Nodding, Pyrrha complied and started to climb inside.

"Mr. Arc, if you would like to help, you can stand guard here. Let NOTHING interrupt us."

"I…won't let you down sir," Jaune proclaimed, turning to face the door he held his shield aloft, prepared to face any threat."

Professor Ozpin turned, furiously bashing out the series of inputs required to power up the right pod and initiate the process. He had no time to go through the normal checks of system and occupants, who knew how long they had before the enemy found a way down? He turned to ask Pyrrha once more if she was certain…only to realize she had already climbed inside, wiping away a single tear before the glass door sealed her in.

"Are…you ready?"

Pyrrha turned her head, giving him a simple nod. Ozpin's serious expression only deepened.

"I…need to hear you say it."

"Yes," she replied immediately with no hesitation.

"Thank you…Ms. Nikos," Ozpin allowed himself to smile as he initiated the sequence.

The device thrummed to life, lifting the left pod into an upright position to match its sibling. The humming built up higher and higher building to its apex…only to suddenly stop, dying into a low murmur before shutting down completely in complete silence.

"What?" Ozpin checked his readouts again and again, the right pod was fully functional, it should be working! Quickly he hopped over to the left panel. The sequence was in place, the two were in synch…what could be wrong?

A flat tone greeted him as he pulled up occupant status…his heart fell along with his hopes and plans. According to the readings, Amber was already dead…she had been since before they arrived at the tower.

A slow, condescending clap drew all their attention as a form sauntered out of the darkness further within the Vault. It did not take long for them to realize her identity.

"Bravo, I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice Professor," Cinder Fall remarked haughtily, allowing several important-looking metal components to clatter to the ground before her. Ozpin recognized them as pieces of Amber's life-support device. "You certainly took a while getting down here," she continued to mock. "Though I suppose it did give me time to…acclimate."

A shroud of fire burst to life surrounding both her eyes; swirling rings of flame encircled her body threatening to incinerate any who dared to venture too close. She even began to rise into the air under her own power…the full might of the Fall Maiden now open to her.

Ozpin slammed his fist into the console, freeing Pyrrha immediately. She took a stance near him ready to fight, but he held her back, shaking his head furiously. He most of all understood the force now arrayed against them.

"Take Jaune and get out of here!" He commanded, the calm in his voice was gone to be replaced by frantic concern. "Find Glynda…Ironwood…Qrow…Horatio! Bring them here right away! The tower cannot fall!"

"But…we can help!" Pyrrha insisted.

Ozpin shook his head solemnly. "You'll only get in the way."

"We've got to go!" Jaune called out, gripping Pyrrha's arm and leading her back to the elevator away from the new Maiden glaring at them behind the inferno that had become her eyes.

 _Yes,_ Cinder mused as they ran. _Do bring dear Horatio here…I've been looking everywhere for him…_

She watched the two run, slowly allowing herself to lower back to the ground. She knew there was no point trying to intimidate Ozpin with such parlor tricks; he was MUCH too tough for that. She did allow a confident smile of triumph to grace her face as she turned towards him. With the power coursing through her body…she did not feel like she could lose to anyone.

 **Beacon Cafeteria…**

"Blake!" Yang called out, decking the last remaining White Fang member blocking her way to the cafeteria. Frantically she searched left and right for her missing teammate. Entering the scorched doorframe she spotted her. Blake cried out in agony as the midnight-clad warrior impaled her through the stomach with a wicked-looking crimson blade.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang screamed, her lilac eyes starting to shimmer red in absolute rage.

"Don't…" Blake whispered weakly unheard by her blonde teammate. She knew what he had planned. With utter calm Adam turned towards her, sheathing his sword with a sinister restrained grin forming on his lips.

"NOOO!" Yang's semblance burst to life around her as she fired off both her Ember Celica gauntlets, propelling her towards him at an incredible speed.

"Yang, wait!" Roland called out too late to stop her just as she took off, he recognized the way the Faunus had sheathed his sword that he was preparing for an attack…it was quite similar to stances taken by Esmerelda when using her weapon in its short form. Making the necessary calculations in his head in an instant he hurled his shield out after her.

Roland allowed himself to smile despite his panting, exhausted nature from catching up to Yang. He had sprinted so hard even Arslan had been left far behind him. It had been the most perfect throw of his life. The shield flew true in a curved circular fashion, at its current speed it would reach the White Fang soldier a moment before Yang. Either he would have to use his swing to deflect it or get out of the way, in either situation it would break his stance and buy Yang more than enough time to get in close, protect Blake and maybe…

Roland's heart turned to ice and shattered as at the height of his confidence…all of his plans crumbled around him. Yang neared her target, the shield reaching him a moment before as Roland predicted…before it could strike the swordsman slashed forward.

Roland's Greatshield, Svalinn…passed down from his grandfather which had withstood his sisters, Elf, Beowolves, Yang's training and Grimm of a hundred different species over the previous 80 years…was cleaved cleanly in two diagonally, shredding the internal components required for the complex transformations. In that moment, Roland started a mad sprint towards them. His shield was utterly destroyed…but that was not the reason for his horror.

As the blade split his shield like butter, it had continued with the follow through…decapitating Yang's right arm just above the elbow. It was obvious she had lost consciousness from the shock, her red eyes flickering back to lilac as her limp body sailed over Blake from the momentum of her charge, slumping to the ground before rolling to a stop.

"YAAAANNNNGGG!" Time seemed to slow for him as he rushed towards her. Ruby's sister, the woman who had made him laugh his first day at Beacon…who he had spent so much time with. He just couldn't reach her fast enough…and the Grimm mask of her assailant stood between them staring back clearly without a qualm at what he had just done. "YOU SON OF A…"

His final word was drowned out as he planted a powerful right hook into the gut of the swordsman; Roland's face was contorted in pure rage. Despite his adrenaline rush and scoring a direct hit…the red-haired Faunus barely staggered…unfazed by his attack.

"Pathetic, is that all she's worth to you?" He taunted, raising his glistening red sword high into the air.

 **Within the Vault…**

"I already knew she was here," Cinder shook her head at Ozpin who continued to stare her down across the room. "I heard everything thanks to my beloved Horatio...with him that makes two things rightfully mine you tried to take from me. Trying to create an artificial Maiden with a puppet Guardian, she was right about you…such arrogance."

Ozpin flipped his cane in his hands without a word, holding it like a sword he took up a combat stance, prepared to battle for the sake of Beacon. If the students above were to be victorious…he must not fail. He could not help but ponder the irony of the situation.

 _The Guardian was created to protect the Maidens…at the very least the first one he came across. In almost every case the two form an inescapable bond…most often becoming wed or spending their lives together. Mr. Soplar met Ms. Fall long before he was brought to the vault and beheld Amber. How blind I can still be after all this time to never have even considered this a possibility…_

 **The defenses fall apart beneath the Grimm onslaught. Battles are won and lost yet the war goes on. Stay tuned for the upcoming conclusion to the battle. As always Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy! :)**


	35. Battle For Beacon: Sundering of Heroes

**The Battle for Beacon concludes, we have nearly reached the end of Volume 3...I couldn't have made it this far without everyone reading my story! I hope you all enjoy the Conclusion to the Fall...**

Ozpin collided with Cinder, his cane crashing against the blades that had materialized in her hands…swords identical to those she wielded as a faux huntress…but made from searing red flames. Maiden abilities were notoriously more volatile moments after their inheritance, Cinder must have been aware as she was throwing everything she could at the aging Headmaster without hesitation.

 _How did this go so wrong?_

Ozpin scored a blow, knocking the villainous Maiden back for some breathing space. Cinder sunk her fiery blades into the ground to slow herself, leaving a trail of molten metal along her path. Abandoning her weapons to oblivion she gracefully waved her hands, summoning dozens of glass javelins in midair. It only took a simple twist of her body to command them to veer straight towards her opponent.

 _Child's play…she's still learning somewhat._

Ozpin moved so quickly that even Cinder could scarcely follow his movements. His cane shot out, bouncing between each projectile and shattering them in an instant…not a single one so much as scratched his jacket. As soon as they were dealt with he lunged forward, his older body deceitful as to just how fast he could move.

 _Our plans were laid…did we…I go too far?_

Before she could react, Ozpin delivered a series of consecutive blows to every part of Cinder's body he could muster before cracking her hard in the face with the base of the cane. The force blew her backwards yet the Headmaster grimaced. Despite the barrage which could have flattened most opponents he felt virtually no weakening of her Maiden-infused aura.

 _She's already been trained and has practiced with the half she acquired from Amber before…_

Cinder went sailing through the air at the force of his blow. As she neared the opposite end of the vault, she threw out her arms as the air around her burst into flames and a bubble of fire erupted to life around her. The resulting explosions stopped her fall, channeling the inferno with her hands the flames condensed smaller and smaller.

Ozpin saw what she was doing, releasing as much energy as she could all at once; he had no hope of dodging it. Falling to his knees he mustered everything his body had left, forming a green protective barrier around himself. Pushing off the ground with his cane he blasted towards Cinder.

At the same time, Cinder had completed her preparations. All the raging flames that had been swirling around her had been compressed into a single sphere, with a wave of her hand the full force of the energy was released…focused squarely on Ozpin. Her indomitable attack struck his final defense.

 _Another failure,_ he mused as his protective sphere cut through the blast. The closer he got to Cinder the more of his bubble was chipped away. _I can only pray he sees the light before the end._

He was not even halfway to Cinder and his shield was collapsing. The last thing the elder Professor saw as his defense shattered was Cinder's sinister grin of victory.

 **Beacon Cafeteria…**

The White Fang Commander Adam Taurus had raised his blade, ready to cleave Roland in half from shoulder to hip. Fury burned in his opponents eyes, despite Roland's best punch he had barely inconvenienced him…he couldn't save them…

A flying spin kick caught the bull-Faunus in the head, sending him crashing into the wall before he could follow through with the killing blow.

"Arslan!" Roland gasped, recognizing his old friend, and she was not alone. "Sun!"

The friendly monkey-Faunus was there as well, his long bowstaff drawn. His normally carefree face was contorted in anger as he saw Blake collapsed on the ground, blood pooling from the wound on her stomach. His fury was focused on the bull-Faunus getting back to his feet.

"I can save them!" Roland assured him. "Just buy me five minutes!"

"You got it!" Sun called out, flying towards the swordsman staggering to his feet.

"Don't overdo it," Arslan repeated the words of wisdom she had given him by the docks before joining him. It would take both of them to stand a chance.

 _Okay, stomach wound, deep, aura compromised…slow bleed out but death is certain without treatment._ His medical training from Professor Peach on determining who to save first raced through his mind. It took all of his willpower to not jump to Yang's aid first. _Severed arm, wound cauterized on impact._ A glimmer of yellow shined around the stump that had once been her right arm. _Her aura is still there, however barely…her condition was non-fatal._

"Blake first," Roland whispered to himself as he removed his fingerless leather gloves. In a flash the tips of his nails were glowing deep-blue, spreading out to encompass his hand. With the utmost care he laid them upon the sword wound at Blake's gut, pressing down.

The young woman flinched at the pressure as she squeezed her eyes tight from the pain. Had there been any witnesses they would have been amazed at Roland's first major use of his semblance since he'd rescued his sister so many years ago. The blue light swarmed over the wound, covering it. Within a matter of seconds the flash receded, revealing pristine skin where there had once been an ugly wound…she would not even have a scar.

 _One more for the collection,_ he grunted, doubling over in agony as Blake's eyes fluttered awake.

"Ro-land?" She asked as she sat up, utterly perplexed she felt around her abdomen and torso seeking the wound which was no longer there.

"You're…safe," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Now for Yang," shuffling to the side he placed his hands on the stump of her arm, needing time for his aura to re-accumulate before he could use it again.

"That is amazing," Blake exclaimed as she leaned over beside him. "You can truly heal any…"

She paused her compliments, noticing his obvious pain, glancing down she spotted a growing pool of blood spreading out from his stomach…the same location where her wound had been. Suddenly it became obvious why he did not use his power often.

"No…you take on the injuries you heal?"

"Don't think about it too hard," Roland grunted, he was almost ready.

"What will happen if you heal her arm? Would you lose yours too?" She was beside herself at how suicidal he was being. He already had one sword wound bleeding badly; she knew more than any other how painful it was. If he lost an arm...he was certain to bleed out!

"Probably, never tested it," he replied coldly, completely focused on Yang. "I need to help her…it will only take a minute to…"

Before he could complete the preparations, a sharp pain sent him tumbling forward, his concentration broken. Blake had struck him with the blunt end of her Gambol Shroud.

"BLAKE!" He shouted in anger, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for!? I need to…" The rage in his voice died as he saw her face, she was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. She grabbed him by his collar and slapped him clean across the face.

"Is that what you think of her?" She shouted. "That she would want you to lose your arm and probably die…just to give hers back? Have you learned so little of her in your time together? Is she in danger of dying?"

"I should have been stronger!" Roland yelled back, avoiding her questions with every fiber of his being. "I should have…"

"WILL…SHE…DIE?" Blake demanded again, shaking him with each word.

"…no," he weakly admitted.

"Then…WAIT. If you are so certain that she would be so selfish…then make your request to her face, not while she cannot make the decision for herself. If you did…she'd never speak to you again…"

Roland clenched his fists together, how could she say that? He never knew Yang to ever put herself before others…but if he just stood back and did nothing what kind of person would he be? She'd been the strong one, sparring with him, training his body. His arm wasn't as important as hers, she could do so much more, she could...

As he stared down, prepared to go through with the attempt, he spotted a glint at her neck...the silver and lilac pendent he had bought her during their outing in Vale the first semester. Her smile and embrace at the sight of it filling his mind and in that moment, utter shame washed over him for what he had nearly done. He really couldn't do anything for her.

 _I'm the selfish one here…_

"Get her out of here," he whispered at length as he stumbled to his feet in a daze. "The docks are clear…they can get her to safety."

"What about you?" Blake lifted the unconscious Yang over her shoulder as gently as she could.

Roland did not answer, with a look of pure rage he glanced across the cafeteria where Sun and Arslan were delaying the White Fang Commander…they did not appear to be doing well. His wound hurt…but he always healed a little faster than others anyway. As long as he got to the docks soon then it wouldn't be fatal.

"He's too strong," Blake asserted. "You can't beat him!"

"I don't know if I can beat him," Roland growled under his breath. "But before I leave here…I want to hurt him."

Blake fled with the wounded Yang while Roland took a step forward, nearly tripping over something on the ground. Inspecting the debris he could not help but allow the fringes of a smile to grace his lips.

 **Across the Cafeteria…**

Sun barely blocked the sword, knocking it aside as he split his bowstaff in two, unloading a punishing barrage from his gunchucks. As before, his opponent recovered too quickly, parrying every shot. Arslan had fallen back, cradling a deep slash across her arm that had breached her aura and shredded her right sleeve.

"Arslan, pull back!" Roland shouted, having rushed over from the opposite side. She noticed the blood stains on his shirt. Not only that, but he had the shredded left-half of his once mighty shield. The strap allowing him to grip it had remained though it had lost any ability to transform. The right half was lost to the flames engulfing the room.

"You overdid it again," she chastised, but he ignored her.

"Blake and Yang are going to make it, they are already withdrawing. We're leaving."

Arslan just looked at him, having known the young man for too long to know he had nothing else planned. Sun suddenly flew past them, having been kicked square in the chest by the Faunus swordsman. He was covered with bruises.

Roland thought fast as the crimson blade reached for them, its user impossibly fast. Shoving Arslan aside he felt the sword scrape off the mangled remains of his bulwark. It seemed without the ability he used, Adam could not penetrate the shield with just the sword easily.

"You again?" The fighter known as Adam Taurus let out a sinister laugh. "You just don't know when to quit."

"I am…very stubborn," Roland groaned, parrying the Faunus' swing weakly, he wound up another right hook aimed squarely at his jaw.

Adam could have dodged…that was the part that would haunt him most. He was faster, stronger and a better tactician than Roland by years. Yet, he had already taken a previous blow from the young man and knew he stood no chance of hurting him with his bare hands. That moment of hubris compelled him to allow a second hit to show how utterly worthless his efforts were. He did not catch the glint of red and gold on the desperate man's wrist until it was too late.

The right half of Ember Celica crashed into his face at the edge where his cheek and mask met. Roland had spotted the weapon among the rubble lying alongside his destroyed shield. Yang was a master with it, capable of firing one or any combination of the shells loaded within in a rotating, almost artistic, fashion. Roland did not possess the skill to emulate her, as such he did the only thing he knew how from watching the woman he loved work.

He fired every shell loaded into Ember Celica simultaneously, the resulting blast shattering his eardrums and sending Adam flying backwards. He crashed through a nearby wall, the entire second floor scaffold collapsing on top of him amidst the roaring flames.

"I…I got him!" Roland cheered weekly. The hit had to have breached his aura…it had to. If he could get closer, maybe he could finish…

All thought left his mind as a stern blow struck the back of his neck. He blacked out in an instant. Falling forward he was caught by Arslan, her face a mixture of sadness and pride.

"You can't kill yourself yet Roland, I know quite a few people who won't forgive that." Hefting him over her uninjured shoulder she and Sun took off, retreating as the remains of the cafeteria came down around them.

Behind them, the rubble shifted as the White Fang Commander shoved off the flaming debris, a hand shakily clutched the left half of his face…now sporting an ugly, scorched scar from where the compounded blasts had struck. His mask was badly cracked yet somehow held together.

 _Roland…_ he roared in his mind at the name he had overheard. _You and Blake shall both burn for tonight…of that you can count on!_

 **Beacon Docks…**

"You are clear, everyone on board! This is a mandatory evacuation!" Professor Port called out, ushering the survivors still remaining in Beacon to the airships. The dragon had moved on towards the tower and taken the remaining flocks with it. As far as they could tell the skies were clear from there to the city.

"A safe zone has been established in Vale." Oobleck reinforced, having heard the news of General Ironwood's success clearing out the Grimm with what remained of his troops. "Please, remain calm and listen to Atlas personnel."

"Weeiiisss!" Ruby called out, catching up to her alongside Olivia and Cameron still cradling Penny's head. She grabbed her teammate and pulled her into a great hug. "Oh I found you!'

"Ruby, where were y…"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Ruby asserted, hiding the blood stain on her head. "What's going on?"

Weiss lowered her gaze solemnly; she didn't want to reveal what was behind her.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked again, leaning around. Her smile at rejoining her teammate again gave way as she saw who was lying on the ground. Ruby felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach…it took everything she had not to burst into tears.

Yang was being lifted onto a stretcher headed for one of the remaining ships…her right stump wrapped and bandaged. Blake, in tears, was holding her left hand the entire way. It seemed everyone was there; Ren and Nora were supporting each other, the two clearly badly wounded. Students from every team that remained were scattered around the docks awaiting their respective evacuation.

"We…had to pull back," Weiss admitted. "Even with the knights and Paladins back on our side there were…just too many. We retreated from the Western front and ensured anyone on the Eastern side came with us…what mechs were left stayed behind to cover our retreat."

"Where's my team?" Olivia begged, noticing not one of them was with them.

"Ezzy is in Vale with General Ironwood keeping our safe zone secured, I don't know where Roland is. Horatio…stayed behind to hold the West."

"WHAT?" Olivia exploded at her last remark. "You left him out there by himself?"

From the distance three new shapes emerged racing towards them. Sun had taken the front with Arslan carrying an unconscious Roland over her shoulder behind him. Sun saw Blake's tears and ran to join her. Olivia rushed to Roland, looking him over, eyes widening at the deep wounds that only seemed to have recently stopped bleeding.

"He needs medical attention," Arslan reported. She spotted his mother standing near one of the two remaining ships, clearly still waiting for him as she protected the withdrawl. His sisters and Elf had been evacuated on a previous transport with his father.

"Roland!" She cried upon seeing him. His mother ran over to help Arslan carry him more comfortably.

"The bleeding stopped; he's going to be fine Mrs. Mane." She knew his mother from when she would visit him at the academy; she couldn't bear to see her worry. "You would have been proud."

"Get him aboard, NOW!" She ordered, shuffling him and Arslan to the transport followed closely by Yang and Blake. They were nearly ready to take off.

"But Horatio, Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing," Ren pointed out; barely able to stand thanks to a deep gash he had taken from an Alpha Beowolf. "We're not…leaving," despite his assertion, he collapsed again, not even Nora was able to stand to catch him.

"That…thing is still circling the school," Flynt pointed out. He was laid out on a stretcher awaiting his turn to be placed on the transport. "Even the White Fang are leaving."

Everyone just stared in thought, they had to leave…staying was clearly pointless and suicidal…but with their friends still missing…

"I'll find them," Ruby stepped forward. Shaking off the hesitation she repeated herself. "I'll find them, and I'll bring them back!"

"No," Weiss interrupted. "WE will bring them back."

"I've had good luck following you tonight so far," Olivia agreed, stepping up beside Weiss. "I'm not leaving you guys now." Arslan and his mother had Roland well in hand…but Horatio was still out there. "Watch after the others," she turned to Ren and Nora. "We'll be back."

"You'd better be!" Sun called out from beside Blake as the three raced off towards. "I am not explaining what happened if you idiots get killed!"

The three did not heed his words, instead racing out towards Beacon Tower. That was where Pyrrha and Jaune had last been seen and was not far from the Western Battlefield…where Horatio had been left holding his own against the horde…

 **Beacon Tower…**

Jaune and Pyrrha finally rushed out of the Tower, bursting forth into the cool night air panting for a brief respite upon realizing they hadn't been followed.

"I…I think I have Glynda's number," Jaune started, flipping through his contact list furiously. His heart sank upon realizing he did not have it. Perhaps she was close enough for a broad signal to be received. "What was all of that?"

Before Pyrrha could answer, the ground shook again. Looking back at the tower in horror they caught a brief glimpse through the shattered walls of a red-dress clad woman blasting into the elevator they had just exited at the far end of the lobby. Turning to them she locked eyes across the distance and sneered, tossing an item onto the ground in front of her.

It was Ozpin's cane.

With her ultimatum delivered, she blew through the roof of the car, continuing upwards. She was actually propelling herself up the length of the tower solely on the strength of the bursts of fire being emitted from her hands.

"But…Ozpin was…" Jaune realized what must have happened if Cinder had gotten past the Headmaster.

"There's no time," Pyrrha solemnly muttered under her breath. "GO, get to Vale and call for help!"

Jaune looked at her in horror, realizing immediately what she was implying.

"No…no Pyrrha you are coming back with me. You heard Ozpin…you SAW her, we can't take on someone that powerful!"

Pyrrha continued to look up at the tower, her determination unfazed.

"No, Pyrrha I won't let you do…"

In a flash, the incorruptible Spartan interrupted his objections, locking her lips over his in a passionate kiss. She had been so happy at Beacon; gotten everything she had wanted…she had no regrets other than selfishly wanting more time. There was never enough of it.

Jaune was frozen, he had kissed her before…but this one just seemed to much more potent…more desperate, yet genuine. His mind went blank as he reciprocated her gesture despite the situation they found themselves in. Perhaps he could convince her to…

As they parted, Pyrrha shoved him in the chest hard, her semblance latching on to his armor and blasting him backwards. Jaune hadn't even noticed a rocket locker had been summoned outside the tower and had remained empty. He flew inside it, the door slamming shut with a click reminiscent of Cardin's darker days at the start of the year. He had no way of opening to locker from the inside.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune hit the door as hard as he could in the cramped space. "Pyrrha! Please don't do this!"

"I'm sorry," she replied sadly, holding back tears. Solemnly she punched in the numbers required to command the locker to depart…it would have enough fuel to reach the docks.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune cried as the rocket took off, blasting him far from his love. "NO! He screamed from within its contents. Shuffling about as best he could, he drew Crocea Mors. "I am saving your life whether you like it or not!"

With a calculated plan, Jaune stabbed his sword through the floor of the locker. The blow cut through and punctured the rocket's propulsion system. With a last burst and sputter the engine died, sending it careening to the ground below. The makeshift vehicle had sent him far…but not so far he couldn't leg it back…getting to the top of the tower would be another story.

 _Whatever happens Pyrrha…I will be there for you!_

 **Beacon West Flank**

He had never felt so indomitable…yet so powerless all at once.

Horatio punched a Rachnera so hard it started to disintegrate before it even hit the ground. Dozens more Grimm assailed him in that moment, their blows raining on him yet causing no injury. His aura had started glowing gold long ago from how much power he was channeling. With a spinning high kick he took the heads off half the pack, the rest refusing to relent despite his unwavering assault.

 _So…many,_ he sighed. He'd never accumulated so much energy in his life, their attacks were weak, yet hundreds were pouring over him. As he expected, they were only mindless beasts thrashing wildly at him with all their strength…they had no hope of harming him like this. _But I just…can't win!_ The frustration burned in his chest, he didn't even try to keep track of how many Grimm he killed, yet they continued to pour over him. The majority seemed to desire his death to the exclusion of all else, yet handfuls still ran past while he was delayed…he couldn't stop all of them.

In a moment of pure rage, Horatio grabbed a nearby chunk of the fountain monument. It was what remained of the once-proud statue of a hero of Vale. With a grunt he swung it sideways, clipping the entire line of Creepers, Beowolves and Sabors and knocking them back. To his horror a rumbling caused his feet to shake.

 _Not another one…_

A Goliath stood across the field surrounded by a renewed wave from the horde birthed from the putrid substance dripping from the dragon overhead. It seemed to be holding its brethren back; they scurried around its feet, eager to charge again…yet hesitating.

Horatio looked into its eyes, this Goliath appeared to be natural, no sign of Dr. Merlot's invasive augmentations anywhere on its body. With its enormous eyes it stared back into his, the calculating, understanding gaze unmistakably pondering the situation…whether it should charge against a seemingly indomitable foe, or retreat for another day and wait as it had done longer than Horatio had been alive.

Static interrupted the standoff, Horatio's battered scroll burst to life, a familiar voice breaking through the garbled transmission.

"Please…you have to stop her…"

"Jaune?" Horatio answered his scroll. Despite the knowledge he was unable to transmit he attempted anyway. "Come in Jaune, can you hear me!?"

"What?" Another voice cracked to life, it was Weiss. Jaune had placed an open broadcast to any scrolls within range. Anyone who was close enough could hear his pleas.

"Pyrrha! She's going after that…Cinder woman…at the top of the tower, she doesn't stand a chance!"

Horatio's heart sunk at the mention of her name. He hadn't seen her since the battle started back in the locker room hallway…when he had…

 _Is this whole battle my fault…because I defended her? Everyone who died…_

"Jaune, what are you talking about? Where are you?" Weiss continued to demand answers while Horatio just listened…helpless to respond.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" He shouted back, his voice full of desperation. "I'm almost back to the tower anyway but…I can't do it alone. Please…you have to save Pyrrha."

"We will," Weiss asserted. "Are you okay?"

Horatio dropped his scroll in pain as a screeching tone crackled over the device, ending the transmission. His only source of communication shattered on impact with the ground, now completely worthless.

 _Pyrrha…Cinder…_

Horatio looked up at the Goliath, still watching him ponderously. It almost seemed to know he had a choice, what would it be? To stand and face its endless brethren in a losing battle to slow their advance…or abandon his post for two people he cared about. Horatio had no delusions about what he had to do

 _I am so selfish._

With a final roar of frustration he slammed his hands into the ground as hard as he could; using very nearly every ounce of energy he had accumulated to send an enormous shockwave billowing towards the army facing him. The blast sent them scattering, even causing the Goliath to stagger somewhat as tons of bricks, concrete and other random debris flew into its face. When it looked up, the courtyard was clear; the one threat blocking the way had vanished, having made his choice.

Roaring in triumph, the Goliath signaled its brethren to move forward…the school was theirs.

 **Beacon Tower…**

Cinder had reached the top of the tower, steam surrounded her from the flames she had mustered to propel her…she had no need for the elevator any longer. With unbreakable confidence and surety, she stepped out through the smoke, entering the office that had once belonged to Headmaster Ozpin.

Looking out over the water she could not help but smile, all of her plans had come to fruition. Despite a few setbacks, they had everything they had sought…once the school was secure they'd be able to begin searching the Vault. It was only a matter of time. Despite her overwhelming victory, an itch of uncertainty clawed at the back of Cinder's mind…like that one small detail forgotten amidst the myriad of goals.

Before she could focus on the uncomfortable feeling, the room began to shake; her trump card…the dragon of Mountain Glenn was scaling the tower and had reached the top. Its head emerged in the very window Cinder was looking out from, spotting her with its six eyes burning into hers. As it gripped the walls near her it let out a thunderous roar.

"Ssshhh," Cinder softly hushed the dragon's roars as a mother would her newborn child. "This is your home now."

The behemoth seemed to comprehend her words, its roar dying to down to a stern whimper. Calmer, almost contentedly it glanced about; nuzzling the window she was standing within. With it nesting in the tower they would have time to…

Cinder turned, spotting Horatio's painting from the dance hanging on the wall…so this was where it was hung. Her own portrait still hung in Team CRMS' dormitory...she would have to make sure and recover it before she departed. Eyeing the canvas closer she spotted her presence with Horatio on the dance floor; she hadn't actually seen the final version. Inspecting the finished portrait, she ran her hand over its length…finally resting the tip of her fingers on herself.

 _He painted me that way again…_

A screech of metal on metal alerted Cinder to the uninvited guest…despite being disabled, the elevator was fast approaching.

In a flash, the doors flew open, a familiar red and gold javelin flying out towards Cinder. With no effort she tilted her head, causing it to streak through her raven hair and stick in the wall behind her…impaling the immaculate portrait.

Cinder furrowed her brow in anger.

She was slightly surprised as a gold shield followed suit, threatening to crack her in the face. Crossing her arms she blocked the attack as the force of the throw emitted a shockwave on contact with her.

Pyrrha was close behind, planting both feet into the shield as it collided with Cinder's arms. The Fall Maiden braced herself, barely flinching at the tremendous blow, her smile ever unwavering. Spring boarding backwards, Pyrrha flipped into an upright position, using her mastery of magnetism to recall her spear and shield to her…ready to continue.

 _She's never seen magic a day in her life…it would be a shame to disappoint her._

Cinder started to levitate into the air as she had done in the Vault; the look of restrained worry on Pyrrha's face was delicious. As soon as she was ready, the wings of fire burst to life in both eyes.

Swiping her arm through the air, a wave of fire slashed down at the young Spartan, forcing her to block it with her shield and roll to the side to avoid the full force. As soon as she landed, Cinder followed up, sending a tremendous blast of flame in her direction. Impressively, she managed to dodge that one as well, barely succeeding to block the third shot with her shield. Its craftsmanship must have been impressive to withstand a Maiden's power.

While standing strong against the flame, Pyrrha reversed the polarity between herself and the wall behind her, combined with her own leap she started pushing through the attack…swiftly approaching Cinder Fall. As she got within range she burst through the pillar of fire, slashing downward with her weapon.

To her shock and confusion…Cinder caught Miló by the blade with a single hand, no sign of effort or pain in doing so. Still smiling, Cinder pulled Pyrrha in close, laying a hand on her gut. A burst of energy struck the redhead hard, sending her blasting backwards into the wall with a crash. With no time to ponder how her aura had managed to take such a hit she leapt back to her feet, head still spinning.

She had no time, already Cinder was pressing forward, using her fire to propel herself towards her. Pyrrha vaulted over her at the last moment, hooking an arm around her neck she hurtled the nefarious woman across the room. Cinder recovered instantly, her throw quickly turning into graceful backflips as she righted herself…but Pyrrha wasn't done.

Following Cinder's backflips she collided with her, hooking Miló around the Fall Maiden's throat, reversing the polarity she caused it to crush harder against her, attracted to the metal in her breastplate. Cinder gripped the weapon at the blade and handle, her hands superheating as she strained to push it away. The two were locked up, neither gaining a clear advantage.

Pyrrha looked forward in horror; through the window ahead she could see the Grimm-Dragon that had been encircling the battlefield soaring straight for them…desperate to protect Cinder at the slightest hint of danger to her.

That moment of distraction was all Cinder needed, focusing her newfound powers solely on her hands. Miló shattered at both points she was gripping, the metal twisted and warped from the heat, it was over. Ducking low, Cinder proceeded to elbow Pyrrha in the gut at the exact moment the dragon rammed the tower, taking off the roof and much of the surrounding walls with a crash. Debris and metal rained down to the streets below as cogs and the other miscellaneous machinations Ozpin had collected shattered and fell from the ceiling. The top half of the once-majestic beacon tower plummeted, narrowly missing several individuals still present at its base.

 **Beacon Tower**

Ruby decapitated another Grimm while Weiss froze an entire pack that had clustered together. Olivia was following behind, cracking any that got in her way with her mace; her pistol was firing what little ammo she had left to clear a path to the tower. They barely avoided what looked like the entire clock tower crashing into the ground in front of them.

A pile of dead Beowolves greeted them still disintegrating, having been slain recently. The one responsible was nearby in the process of attempting to climb the tower.

"Jaune!" Ruby called out. The young knight had been trying to scale the building using his shield and sword as picks…even if he had the strength to complete the task it would have taken too long to reach the peak.

"We have to get up there!" He called back, barely acknowledging them.

"Get down here…we'll reach her," Weiss assured him. Begrudgingly, he abandoned his plan to join his friends. "Ruby has a plan."

"Hop on," Ruby ordered, motioning for him to grab onto her back. Jaune swiftly complied. Olivia simultaneously reconverted her Jackal into its rifle form; turning it upside down she mounted it like a pogo stick, ensuring she had sufficient ammo loaded.

Weiss swung her sword, summoning gravity glyphs stretching in a long line up the length of the tower all the way to the top.

"Go!" She shouted as she held them in place. "And bring everyone home!"

Ruby nodded, with a burst from her semblance she reached the first glyph, the momentum and gravity dilation allowing her to jump to the next…and the next…and the next even with Jaune holding onto her for dear life. Olivia followed suit, firing her rifle, the momentum blasted her into the air with an excited scream of adrenaline. As the momentum died she would fire it again and again, succeeding in keeping up with Ruby in their desperate race to the top.

 _I'm coming Pyrrha,_ Jaune thought to himself over and over again. _Hold on a bit longer! The cavalry's on the way!_

 **Beacon Tower Peak…**

The battle had intensified between the two women; Pyrrha thought she had a chance as she used her semblance to bring every scrap of metal remaining in Ozpin's shattered office down on top of Cinder. It appeared to have worked…only for a moment.

With a tremendous torrent of flame, all the accumulated debris was blasted outward in every direction, an especially large gear catching Pyrrha in her stomach…she could feel her aura shatter in an instant. She attempted to repeat her attack…but the metal would not budge. Had Cinder heated it to such a degree that magnetism was no longer possible? In the distance Cinder reformed her bow, intent on ending their struggle from a distance.

Her javelin was gone, but her shield remained, with a herculean throw Pyrrha launched it like a discus towards her, falling to her knees in exhaustion. Cinder aimed squarely for her shield, firing a glass arrow infused with fire.

As the two were about to collide…her arrow suddenly shattered, disintegrating into cinders as if in homage to its wielder. The particles danced around the shield, avoiding it completely before reforming on the other side. Cinder easily parried the shield to the side as she had done before…it was nothing to her.

The arrow continued its flight, burying itself in Pyrrha's right ankle. She let out a short but harsh scream as she doubled over, unable to stand up. Gritting through the pain, Pyrrha snapped off the barbed arrowhead, pulling the shaft out of her ankle. Despite the removal of the gruesome weapon, the heat and pain remained…coupled with how drained she felt, the defeated warrior could not get up again.

"It's unfortunate you were promised a power and Guardian that were never truly yours," Cinder mused as she strolled slowly towards her beaten opponent. Kneeling down, she gripped Pyrrha's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. Despite the protracted battle, she did not appear winded in the slightest. "But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could NEVER have imagined." Her amber eyes burned into Pyrrha's, her smile of victory unwavering.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha asked. Despite the fact she was utterly defeated and unable to stand, she was…smiling.

"...Yes," Cinder answered after a moment of thought, releasing her chin and standing back up. Holding out her hands she reformed her bow once more from seemingly nowhere. Nocking an arrow she zeroed in on Pyrrha's chest.

"CINDER!"

The roar drew her attention; a new challenger had made it to the top of the tower standing there in all his glory. She prepared for renewed battle before realizing the newcomer's identity…the last person she felt she would need protection from. The distracting itch in the back of her mind had finally been scratched.

"Horatio…so glad you could join us. Give me just a moment and we can talk privately."

Horatio held out his hand desperately. "Please…Cinder, don't kill her."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I? I've won."

"Exactly," Horatio took a hesitant step forward. "She is beaten; she was the best student here and stood no chance. She is nothing to you…and because I am asking…no, BEGGING you…if ANY part of the last year wasn't a lie…please."

"What is she to you to grovel so well?"

"A good friend, and far more to someone else."

Cinder's eyes were cold and focused, the woman he loved barely visible through their terrifying visage…the eyes he had drawn at her first portrait before he corrected it. She looked completely unmoved by his words.

Unexpectedly…Cinder lowered her bow with an annoyed groan.

As her bow lowered a familiar red silhouette catapulted over the edge landing right next to Horatio followed by another. Ruby slammed into the ground, Jaune gripping her back as he had held on the whole way up. Safely back on solid ground they let go, drawing weapons ready to fight. Olivia only narrowly lost the race to the top.

"RUBY! OLIVIA!" Horatio shouted as she appeared, Crescent Rose and Jackal aiming at Cinder who had immediately raised her bow towards Pyrrha again. "Put…the weapons…down!"

"But Pyrrha…"

"Will be dead in an instant if of you open fire, Cinder's aura is still up but it only takes one arrow to kill Pyrrha."

The two snipers hesitated, glancing between Horatio, Cinder and Pyrrha. Jaune just growled as he let his sword and shield dip to his sides.

"Pyrrha…are you alright?!" He shouted across the rooftop.

The redhead's eyes welled up with sadness upon seeing his return, she nodded slightly.

"I don't have time for this," Cinder pulled back on her bowstring.

"WAIT!" Horatio cried out again. "I…I will be your prisoner. Let them take Pyrrha and leave…I will remain here of my own free will, no resistance."

"Horatio!" Olivia snapped.

"Right," Cinder scowled at him. "Allow someone who can have a mountain dropped on their head without incident right next to me…wouldn't be much of a prisoner to deter attack."

As she said that her eyes widened with a smirk, an idea clearly crossing her mind.

"On second thought, I will accept your offer…on one condition. You will lower your aura with your oath that you will not raise it again, only THEN you may approach and know that if I so much as sense it reassembling I will..."

"Done," Horatio agreed immediately without hesitation. "But let Jaune accompany me halfway…she cannot walk like that. Allow Pyrrha to come over, he will help her back to Ruby and I will continue alone."

Cinder nodded.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked; her rifle still trained at Cinder. "You can't trust her!"

"I have to try," Horatio pleaded. "She's not a Grimm; just…killing her isn't the only option. Give me as much time as you can."

"Horatio…" Olivia chastised again, recalling information her darker half had glimpsed in Emerald's mind. "I know how you feel, but she was the one who orchestrated this whole thing…it was the entire reason she came to Beacon!"

"I want…to hear her say it," he gritted his teeth, refusing to take his eyes of the woman he had painted so long ago.

"Here!" Jaune shouted to Pyrrha, with a grunt he threw over Ozpin's cane that he had recovered at the base of the tower before Ruby and Weiss arrived. She just barely managed to catch it, almost falling over to do so.

Pyrrha hesitantly stood back up onto her left leg, the cane keeping all weight off her right. Looking up Cinder gave a forceful head snap in their direction, commanding her to go.

Horatio breathed in deep, as he exhaled the gold of his aura shimmered and collapsed, his only defense was gone. He had gotten so used to its presence, it actually took effort to keep his aura from reassembling itself. Together, he and Jaune walked slowly and carefully across the tower taking a step towards her for every step Pyrrha took away. The entire time, Cinder's bow was trained on Pyrrha's back, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"So what's the plan?" Jaune whispered as they walked. "You grab Pyrrha and we run? I can protect your retreat."

"No," Horatio snapped back. "We stick to the deal…I need to speak with her."

"But why?" Jaune asked a bit louder, clearly he thought Horatio had been lying with the deal to actually become her prisoner. "She could kill you!"

"What would you do if their roles were reversed?"

Jaune had no answer.

 _If she is truly so…twisted…then I will do what I must._ Horatio's right hand slipped into his pocket, tightening around a jagged shard of ice from Winter's prison he had kept after freeing himself. Her dust mastery was quite amazing…it hadn't even started to melt yet.

After a painfully slow walk they converged, Jaune rushing to catch Pyrrha as she wobbled on the cane. Sheathing his sword and shield he scooped her up into his arms, tears streaming down his face as he saw her injuries. She could barely bring her hand up to his face, stroking his cheek and wiping them away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, gripping Ozpin's cane tightly in her hands.

"You have NO reason to be," Jaune insisted as he tried to smile.

"Take care of him Pyrrha…and you watch over her Jaune," Horatio whispered before he continued his trek to Cinder. "You are her real Guardian…I was just a placeholder. And good luck to both of you saving the world."

With that final word they parted, Jaune and Pyrrha withdrawing back to Ruby and Olivia's side while Horatio neared Cinder. Ruby had still refused to lower her rifle, she loaded the largest round she had in her arsenal and trained it on the raven-haired traitor. If Pyrrha did enough damage in her fight the bullet may even pierce her aura at this range.

Horatio finally reached Cinder's side, her arrow now pointed at his chest. With how close they were she took a step forward, letting the arrow tip press against him. A wince of pain and dribble of blood through his coat confirmed his invincible aura was nonexistent or had no power behind it.

"Why?" he asked, his face determined and serious, ignoring her arrow. It looked as if he was doing all he could to hold back tears of his own. Too many had died as a result of this attack…he had to know the reason. "All this death…and for what?"

Cinder adjusted her posture, the bow tightening in her hands. "What would you do to retrieve what should have been yours?"

Horatio did not understand.

"This power…is rightfully mine, only I am worthy of it!" Her amber eyes shimmered brighter in the darkness as she continued. "The hunger burned since I retrieved only half. It felt…better near you, but not enough…I…NEED…it."

Horatio's mind raced, the powers sounded like an addiction the way she described it. Thinking fast, he started processing every detail he had retained throughout the year. Regardless of whether the power did indeed belong to Cinder it wasn't adding up…it just WASN'T adding up!

"Then why the invasion? If all you wanted was your power back then what was the point in all this!" He threw his hand up in the air, taking a step forward…even Cinder took a step back at his advance. "You are an extraordinary woman, it would have been child's play for you to locate Amber in that tower without waiting out the semester…or destroying the school…or spending so much time with me."

She only stared at him, finally lowering her bow slightly.

"What are they saying?" Jaune asked across the rooftop. Olivia just shrugged.

"I can't hear," Ruby muttered back, ready to take advantage of any opening from Cinder.

"Well?" He asked again, a single tear squeezing past his restraint. "TELL ME!" He had earned that much at least. His right hand flexed, prepared to dive into his overcoat to retrieve his frozen dagger…an action that would likely be his last.

Thunder struck overhead, a downpour of rain suddenly drenching them though none moved to shield themselves. The storm seemed to be centered on the tower.

"It was her command, two birds, one stone" Cinder finally admitted. "Our goals both converged at Beacon."

 _Her?_

Horatio saw the hesitation in Cinder's eyes at the mention of "her" and something akin to uncertainty…or fear?

 _Fear...from Cinder?_

"So there IS someone else pulling the strings!" He knew it! His right hand relaxed, the dark thoughts he had contemplated now forgotten at the spark of hope in his heart. If the worst of this wasn't Cinder's plan then perhaps she could still be…

 _She isn't wholly irredeemable…I knew it…_

"Come with me," Cinder whispered. Horatio could not tell if she was commanding or asking. "These pawns are all doomed; they will fall one by one."

"Who is she?" Horatio asked, stepping closer again. "We CAN fight her…I can…"

"NO, you can't, she is beyond even you," she snapped, completely certain of her words. "Now make your choice, come with me or…"

She raised her bow again through the torrential rain, aimed squarely at his throat. She pulled back on the string threateningly. Ruby's finger tightened on her own trigger. She was giving Horatio the time he asked but she wouldn't let her hurt him.

"I don't think you will," Horatio challenged, straightening up to his full height.

Cinder chuckled dryly, "And why not?"

"Because there is good in you even if you don't know it," he explained. Horatio had time to think since her revelation and realized he had seen it in his portraits. Despite her terrifying eyes…if there was no saving grace to be found whatsoever he could never have drawn her as he did. "You've had the opportunity to kill me so many times. You could have let me fall from the Bullhead at Merlot's Lab…heck you could have just NOT caught me when the platform collapsed beneath my feet. If you do know my semblance as you claim then you could have devised a thousand different ways to kill me."

"I wanted you as my knight…NOTHING MORE!" She asserted. "I am the rightful Fall Maiden, YOU are the Guardian."

"LIAR!" His shout coincided with a crack of thunder and lightning. Horatio was directly in front of her now, stepping around the arrow so it was pointing past his head, she did not attempt to adjust her aim. "My feelings for you have NOTHING to do with some ancient magic prophecy…and I will NOT believe that EVERYTHING was a lie!"

"And why not?"

"You spared Pyrrha didn't you?"

Cinder paused, her mouth hanging open the smallest amount; she could not wave that decision away so easily.

"Also…you're still wearing it."

Cinder looked confused before following his eyes…straight to the feather accessory on her right hip. Glistening among the blue and teal feathers was a black gem cut in the shape of a rhombus…the same he had given her with the corsage at the dance though the flowers had long since wilted. Her first gift.

"I haven't given up on you yet," he continued, his face split between determination and sorrow, remembering the faces of everyone who had died that night.

 _If I can help it…no one else dies tonight…not one!_

"And I am not about to. You were right, the Huntsman Institutions cannot possibly win like this…I don't see how, but neither should we just lie back and let the Grimm kill us all. There MUST be an alternative…there always is, and I want to find it…with you."

"Why me?" Cinder's calm was chipping away as the storm raged around them, her voice filled with confused frustration at his nonsensical actions. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, he was to be her knight…serve her unconditionally…he shouldn't be talking to her like this, making her feel this way…

"Because…you are worth it, the risk…is worth the gain."

Cinder's arms trembled as the bow disintegrated in her hands at the echo of her own words so long ago. Horatio thought he spotted a single tear fall down her left cheek…or was it merely another drop of rain in the tempest surrounding them? He could not tell.

"You…insufferable…selfish bastard!" in a swift motion she slapped Horatio clean across the face hard, putting a touch of her power into it, a single flame bathing his unprotected head in heat.

Ruby jumped at the strike, her already tight finger constricted around the trigger. Crescent Rose fired its high velocity piercing round squarely at Cinder's head, it was too late now.

"No!" Horatio shouted upon hearing the shot, leaping in front of her. Cinder's flame had licked his face but with no power or malice behind it he was unburned. "You don't need to…"

His calls for peace were cut short as he dove in front of the round. In his impassioned speech he had completely forgotten his aura was still gone per Cinder's conditions. His overpowering instinct to protect others had betrayed him. The high impact bullet pierced the left side of his chest cleanly before it could reassemble from instinct; striking bone it ricocheted, tearing through him as it blasted out his lower back.

"NOOOO!" Cinder's scream of rage drowned out the storm as Horatio fell backwards into her arms. Without hesitation she eased him to the ground, pressing her blood-soaked hands onto the entry and exit wounds. Igniting a great flame she seared them closed instantly, yet Horatio did not stir.

Ruby dropped Crescent Rose, collapsing to her knees along with it upon the realization of what she had done. Horatio was lying in Cinder's arms, his eyes glazed over, open but unseeing, he was not moving.

"Damn you…you narrow-minded fool," Cinder lamented as she held his unresponsive body. "You were mine…you cannot die until I COMMAND IT!"

"Horatio!" Olivia shouted, her face contorting in absolute horror as she rushed as fast as she could towards the other side of the tower.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Cinder cried out, erecting a wall of fire in front of Olivia to block her passage. At the same time, bolts of lightning struck the tower forcing her to pull back. The dragon circled overhead, its roars shaking the very foundations of the building.

Tears were falling from Ruby's face, she looked up to the sky and screamed…none of them had ever heard a wail like that before…a wave of silver light erupted from her eyes taking the shape of great wings.

Jaune raced back to the edge of the rooftop, shielding his and Pyrrha's eyes from the flare. What was going on? The silver wings released a luminous explosion enveloping everything around them. It spread across the rooftop in all directions.

Jaune felt his arms lighten as Pyrrha was suddenly lifted out of his grip.

"You do not want to be here kid. Hop on…now!" Ruby's uncle remarked. He had an unconscious Pyrrha tucked under a single arm. At his command, Jaune hooked his arms around his neck and held on.

"Let me go!" Olivia shouted as he grabbed her waist with his free hand, dragging her along against her will as she strove to reach Horatio. "LET ME GO…NOW!" Her eyes flickered black for half a heartbeat. The color drained from another strand of her blonde hair…turning platinum silver.

"Mr. Branwen!" Jaune shouted as they all dropped over the side of the tower, out of range of the strange silver light.

Everything on the tower was consumed; even the behemoth dragon only had time to release a single pained screech before it was enveloped in its rays. Cinder did not look at the light, she didn't care; she pulled Horatio's body closer to shield him with her own, cradling him gently as the argent explosion surrounded them both…in that instant…there was nothing else.

 **The Battle for Beacon draws to a close…none escaping unscathed. What will result from the decisions made amidst the largest battle of our heroes' lives? Volume 3 concludes next time, until then be sure to Read and Review, but most of all Enjoy. :)**


	36. Old Wounds, New Beginnings

**The Battle for Beacon has ended, our heroes retreat to a place of safety to lick their wounds, rest and recuperate. Yet, their respite shall be brief as the drums of war draw them out of their safe haven...back into the world at large.**

Olivia fired another round, the bullet burying itself into the cliffside far in the distance. She was venting and could think of no other way to do it. Ejecting the spent casing she fired again, her shot striking just wide of the first, she didn't care.

 ** _Ignore me all you want, you can't…_**

She fired again, the blast drowning out the voice that wouldn't leave her alone.

 ** _If you want to find and kill them, I am sure I can oblige._**

Another round fired, she had plenty to spare, and enough frustration to burn through. She'd never forget what happened at the tower.

They had been at Patch for two days, it seemed the safest place. With the relatively small population of the island, Grimm attacks were significantly lower than the rest of the world, which based on the sporadic reports that came through was going downhill fast. With the CCT Towers down, only local communications were working and most of what was going on in Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral were slow to arrive or pure conjecture.

Due to the widespread nature of Cinder's broadcast, which had recorded just about every moment of the battle, tensions were high across the world. So many people witnessed Atlesian mechs attacking students and civilians, Atlas creating artificial huntresses in secret, and the revelation somehow being released that they knew of the bait used to lure in the Grimm without informing the public. The Atlas military was coming under fire from both the populace and the Grimm. Due to the rampant panic and uncertainty over the events that transpired at Beacon, the Grimm were more active than ever…new species and old ones not seen since the Great War were becoming more and more common.

Olivia had accompanied the unconscious Ruby, Yang and their Uncle when they departed Vale. Weiss had come along with them watching over her partner, she didn't know where Blake went. Jaune and Pyrrha came with them, he would not say why, but was absolutely terrified that Cinder or her team may come after her. Patch was far enough out of the way to stay under the radar for a while. Ren and Nora had been invited to stay with Jaune's family for the duration, the poor blonde knight looking absolutely terrified that they would become chummy with his seven sisters.

Olivia had been shocked when Roland actually staggered onto the airship with them. She could hear the arguments with his family from across the dock where the safe zone had been established. His father was fuming, demanding that he had to come home as his mother begged him. Despite their tears he pleaded with them to allow him to travel with Yang after what had happened to her. In the end they had relented, and after saying farewell to his sisters and Elf he joined them on the ship to the secluded island of Patch.

Of course, Roland had scarcely left Yang's side. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness as her father tended her arm as best he could. Olivia thought back, remembering when Roland had first arrived.

Yang's father, Taiyang Xiao Long, was rather tall compared to him. His hair had clearly once been golden like his daughter's but was now dulling with age. He had been ready and waiting when they arrived, the first thing he saw was Yang being wheeled in…Roland holding her hand the entire way. Her father knew in that moment, you could see it in his eyes. She hadn't seen the two of them say more than two words to each other and wasn't quite sure she wanted to be there when it came to a head.

She fired another round, realizing she barely heard it. The shot had been drowned out by a loud thrumming sound coming from far in the distance. She could spot the wind picking up and the tops of trees swaying in the breeze. As the source of it emerged over the hills, she tightened her rifle all the more.

 **Inside the House…**

Taiyang emerged from Yang's room, slowly shutting the door behind him. Roland was slumped in a nearby chair, having finally dozed off only a few hours earlier. With a swift, yet stern kick he jolted the young man awake, almost causing him to fall out of his seat.

"She's awake," he announced sternly. "But she doesn't want visitors. You can wait in your room."

"But," he hesitated briefly, "I HAVE to talk to her sir," Roland stressed. He had hoped the question he would present Yang could be done in private.

Taiyang sighed, clearly still trying to deal with what had happened to both his daughters and all the unexpected guests in such a short amount of time. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes, black lines already forming beneath them over the last few days.

"Look, she took a heavy blow…and I don't just mean her arm. She needs time, time to process everything…it won't be quick or easy."

"I was there sir," Roland risked stepping forward. He and Yang's father had been tiptoeing around each other since he arrived. It was obvious she had never told him about Roland and the hurt showed on his face. Why hadn't she trusted him with her first boyfriend? "And I want to help her through it, I…I need to ask her something."

Taiyang eyed him up and down suspiciously. "If you are hiding a ring anywhere on your person I will find it and shove it…"

"No, nononono sir," Roland took a step back, shaking his hands defensively. "Not that kind of question."

"Then what question?" He crossed his arms and stared Roland down. "Tell me, and I will CONSIDER asking if she wants to see you."

Roland cursed under his breath, there was no helping it. He was going to have to tell Taiyang about himself.

"My semblance can help her sir. But there are some…drawbacks that I am willing to pay."

 **Upstairs Bedroom…**

Pyrrha was sitting up in her bed that had been provided. The room was quite large with two beds; Ruby was currently asleep in the one across from her. It had been two days since they arrived and her friend refused to wake. She couldn't even remember what had happened to her, the last thing she recalled before passing out was apologizing to Jaune as he carried her to safety.

The young man was sleeping against the bed, he hadn't left her side since she arrived and it had finally caught up to him. Ever so slowly, to prevent waking him, Pyrrha slid out of bed and stood.

Sharp pain coursed through her right ankle despite putting virtually no weight on it.

Unable to stand, Pyrrha collapsed back onto the bed, the impact disturbing the young knight and rousing him from sleep.

"Pyrrha!" He called out, noticing what she was attempting. "They said you had to stay in bed!"

"I…had to try," she replied quietly. Jaune hadn't been present when Taiyang had tended to her injury. He hadn't been there when he told Pyrrha of the damage done by Cinder's barbed arrow. She'd be able to walk in time, may even be able to fight again…but the odds she could do the things she could before were quite low. She had refrained from telling Jaune, it would only make him feel worse.

"You just need time," he reassured blindly. "You need to heal, get well again." He noticed her untouched plate of food beside her. "That begins with eating to keep your strength up."

"I wasn't hung…" Pyrrha started before realizing Jaune had stabbed a bit of egg onto a fork and was holding it in front of her mouth.

"You…have…to eat," he persisted, bringing the food closer to her face.

Pyrrha blushed as red as her hair, glancing away she hesitantly opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her. During much of their time at Beacon she had helped him…to be a better fighter, huntsman...a better person. Now it was time for him to do the same for her. He let a content smile wash across his face as he prepared another helping of food.

Despite everything that had happened and what was likely to come, in that moment, Pyrrha couldn't have been happier. She pushed the troubling thoughts of the future aside for the time being.

 **Yang's Room…**

Yang had been staring out her window at the forest outside. Everything she had come to know, the school, her classmates, Horatio, even Blake were all gone. Her room was small and simple, she wanted to be alone. There was only a single bed, the table nearby was empty save for her left half of Ember Celica and a plain vase. Inside it were three sunflowers…they were undoubtedly put there by Roland during her time asleep…he loved calling her that.

A soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts; the familiar face of her father peeked in, making sure it was ok. Yang looked over confused since he had just left.

"You have a visitor," he informed her.

"I don't want to see anyone dad, I just want to be…"

"It's Roland."

Yang paused, the guilt at having kept him a secret from her father for so long joining the myriad of emotions running through her. Though, she was more surprised than anything that he was actually allowing him to enter her room.

"I don't want him to…"

"He wants to ask you something," Tai interrupted. "And…please think VERY carefully on the answer." Without another word he ducked out of the room, allowing the door to slide open the remainder of the way.

Roland stood in the doorway like a plank, hands rubbing together as he could not think of what else to do with them.

"Hi Yang."

She looked away, turning her body to obscure the missing arm as best she could. She refused to make eye contact for more than a second at a time before glancing out the window again. Nervously, Roland shuffled closer, pulling the nearby chair up to the bed close enough to speak but far enough for her to retain her personal space. Removing the right half of Ember Celica he had kept after the battle he laid the gauntlet on the table beside its twin.

"I-I'm glad to see you're…"

"What did you want to say?" She snapped. "It must have been pretty good for my dad to let you in."

"It's g-good...hopefully the best, I hope," Roland fumbled with his words for once, he did not quite know where to begin. "Do you remember how I explained my semblance?"

"It can heal minor injuries," she replied glumly, clearly under the impression her arm was beyond its skill.

"Not…quite."

Yang slowly swiveled her head around, locking her solemn, defeated eyes onto his. It took everything he had to resist embracing her if only to try and relight the spark she used to have.

"As far as I am aware, there is no…limit to what I can heal with it…but there is a sizeable downside."

Yang's eyes widened as he continued, he was dreading the next part. For a moment, just a moment he regretted that Blake had stopped him during the battle.

"I can heal ANY injury, but my semblance uses my own body as the raw material to complete the process. In order to heal someone…I take on the injury myself."

Yang thought back to all the time they had spent together, each time he had used his semblance as rarely as it was. Her fists when they sparred, her back at the breach in Vale…

"Blake's stomach?" She asked. Sun had given her a brief rundown of what he saw of her Faunus partner after the battle. It was he who had informed her that Blake had just ran to parts unknown after reaching the city…and that Roland had healed the sword wound Yang witnessed her take.

Hesitantly, Roland pulled up his shirt, praying her father wasn't secretly watching for nefarious schemes. He revealed the scarring wound now present in the identical spot where her teammate had been stabbed in the lower-left stomach. Just above it, she spotted the edge of the large ugly scar that traveled the length of his chest…the one she had first seen during his recuperation after his fight with the Mutant Beowolf. It all fell into place.

"That bigger one," she asked. "You told me your semblance unlocked when you saved Casey who had been nearly killed by a Beowolf, was that…?"

Roland nodded. "This was my first scar, a memento of that day. I took this so that Casey would live."

"I still don't see then how it can…"

"Please let me give your arm back," Roland pleaded, falling to his knees at her bedside. He wrapped his hands around hers; she could feel the desperation in his squeeze, how badly he wanted her to say yes.

"You want me…to take your arm?"

Roland looked up into her lilac eyes, nodding past the sniffles. "I've never tested it, but the science behind it is sound. My semblance should convert my arm into energy and transfer that energy into you. Once in your body, it would reconstruct your arm as it was using me as the base materials. It would most certainly hurt, but I am sure you could…"

A loud smack interrupted him as Yang pulled her hand free of his, striking him across the face. Roland knew he would never get used to that. The entire time since he had entered the room she looked to have been holding back tears. Now she was no longer doing so, allowing them to fall down her face.

"You…stupid jerk!" She cried, punching him in the arm though there was no real power behind it. She swung again and again; he did not attempt to avoid them. With her final swing, Roland caught her fist…squeezing it gently.

"I couldn't protect you," he whispered, barely able to hold eye contact with her. "Seeing what he did to you, it's worse than losing an arm. Please…let me do this."

"I would never take that from you," she sniffled, her fist pushing against his hand as if attempting to hit him again. It was what she knew best, Roland knew full well if she desired him to be hurt he'd be bloody on the ground. "This is my problem, to have you go through what I did, that would be worse than…than…"

Her fist relaxed and dipped out of Roland's grip. Reaching out, she wrapped her remaining arm around his neck and pulled him into an embrace.

Roland didn't quite know what to do; he just froze as she held him. After a moment's hesitation he slowly returned the hug, squeezing her tightly. Unbeknownst to them, Taiyang had been peeking through the door. Despite his desire to kill a man in that moment, he quietly slid it shut to give them privacy.

"The offer is always open," Roland whispered as he finally let his tears fall as well. "If you ever change your mind, you have but to ask."

Yang did not answer; it was only then that she spotted the right half of Ember Celica lying on the table. She had been unaware of its recovery from the battle. Her heart started to race, she felt like it was Adam embracing her. Her eyes shot open, her pupils dilated as it became harder to breathe.

"Get out," Yang startled him, shoving Roland away.

"Yang…"

"GET OUT!" She shouted, uncertain how long she could go without hyperventilating in front of him.

Roland raised his hands defensively at her tone, taking several steps backwards. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes; his presence was making things worse.

"Ok Yang, I'll get out…but I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for you…whenever you need me." With that final word he shuffled back outside, giving her the space she had demanded but was growing more and more uncertain she wanted.

 **Outside the House…**

Olivia rushed forward, spotting the sight of Atlesian Bullheads landing not far from the house. Beyond them, a Command Cruiser could be seen on station, she couldn't help but notice its hull was dented in several places, they had to fight to reach Patch.

The largest of the landing craft touched down at the edge of the tree line leading to the house. They did not turn off their engines, whatever they were here for they were not expecting to remain long. The door slid open, revealing an entourage of soldiers. They were being led by a tall woman wearing a familiar Atlas uniform; it seemed that Weiss' sister Winter had…

Olivia gasped as they drew closer, the gem clasping the coat closed was sky blue instead of red and she had a mane of auburn hair, the woman in the uniform was not Winter.

"EZZY!" She cried out in joy, lunging for and latching around her teammate's neck, squeezing her tight.

"It's…good to see you too," she gently returned the hug. In front of the soldiers she had to maintain discipline, but Olivia could tell she was using all her willpower to not embrace her just as strongly.

"What are you doing here? Where have you been?"

As she opened her mouth to reply, Weiss and Roland came running up, pushing against the wind billowing from the Bullhead.

"I've been…indisposed with increased Grimm activity worldwide," she explained calmly. "We have been dispatched under special request from Jacques Schnee to retrieve his daughter and extricate her back to Atlas for her own safety."

"I…I can't leave yet," Weiss resisted. "Ruby is still asleep, she hasn't woken since the battle…I can't just…"

"Your father awaits onboard," Esmerelda clarified, pointing back towards the Bullhead. "He was," she paused to choose her words carefully, "quite insistent that you depart with us without delay. We are not to return otherwise."

Glancing towards the still-active dropship, an older gentleman sporting a great white suit and matching mustache could be seen sitting by an open window. Despite the distance between them, he seemed to have locked his stern eyes onto Weiss'. Why he hadn't come out to see his own daughter boggled their minds.

"I…I need to gather some things," Weiss relented, her voice seemed to drop into the tone she'd had when first arriving at Beacon. Her aura of calm seemed to stutter upon noticing he was there in person. They'd never seen her look so shaken or uncertain. "I shall not be long."

"There is a ten minute window Ms. Schnee, we have that long to take off. I would prefer not waiting long lest we attract more Grimm." Raising her hand she waved off the soldiers, bidding them to return to the ship and inform their VIP of the delay. Olivia noticed one of them had left a large crate sitting on the ground. Esmerelda waited until they were out of sight before moving closer, gripping Roland with her right arm around his neck and Olivia with her left…pulling them into a great embrace. "I'm sorry."

"Is it really that bad?" Roland asked. None of the three broke the hug as they spoke; they needed this after the battle.

Esmerelda nodded. "Grimm are pressing hard everywhere, you…don't want to know the casualty reports. We wouldn't even have been permitted to come this far south were it not for Weiss' father being with us. I can't say more, but the general is trying to help as best he can."

"What about…" Olivia hesitated, she couldn't finish her question, but they both knew what she was asking.

"You didn't hear this from me, but the Grimm still control Beacon…their numbers grow daily. We haven't been able to get close enough to recov…to find Horatio."

She felt Olivia's grip squeeze tighter at the mention of his name. She'd been there at the tower…saw what happened to him. If only she had been able to reach him!

"For now, please stay here. We have enough huntsman and huntresses fighting and dying out there. Patch is safe." She motioned to the crate by her side. "The general sends his thanks for our efforts at the battle. He requisitioned some Atlas equipment, a few state of the art devices to use…medical supplies for Yang and Pyrrha, the works. Use them however you see fit."

"Stay with us!" Olivia begged. "Keep Team HERO together, it's what he would have wanted."

Esmerelda just shook her head, brushing an unfamiliar strand of platinum silver hair from Olivia's face. "I can't, I'm in the Atlas military now. I'm helping the general make the world safe…I have to go."

"But, but every time Team HERO splits up, something bad happens…every time!"

"We'll always be a team," Roland asserted. "Even if we're spread to the corners of the world."

He backed out of the embrace, holding out his right arm…the others understood immediately. They each did the same, gripping the arm of the person to their right just below the elbow. A somber wave passed through them that without Horatio, their team sign formed a triangle rather than a square.

"We swear, that whatever happens, we be there for each other when we can, that's a promise," Olivia proclaimed. The others nodded, barely noticing that Weiss had stepped outside, Mytenaster in hand along with what few items remained that she had brought from Beacon.

"Can you…" she stuttered as she passed by. "Let Ruby know I said goodbye."

"I will," Roland assured her. "As soon as she wakes up."

Weiss nodded, bowing low. "In that case I…am ready to proceed."

"Thank you, right this way Ms. Schnee," Esmerelda motioned, falling back into her military vernacular. She gave the others a quick nod farewell before turning to walk alongside Weiss, escorting her to the Bullhead beyond.

"She'll be fine," Roland shouted over the engines taking off.

 ** _She will…but what about you?_**

Olivia ignored the opposition in her head, as much as she hated to admit…she needed Hildie more than ever.

 _Listen to me…we may not see eye to eye, but you are going to tell me EVERYTHING you saw in that Emerald girls mind…EVERYTHING!_

 ** _Such anger in your voice boss…I'm so proud._**

 **The Next Day…**

"NOOOOO!" Ruby cried as she shot up, her mind continuing the last actions it remembered. After a moment she realized she was in her old bed and no longer atop Beacon Tower.

She was home, her room the same as it had been the day she'd left for Beacon, no doubt her dad had kept it clean. Her old Grimm, huntsman and huntress models were still posed atop shelves and desks despite his assertions he would get rid of them after she left.

Speaking of her dad, he was already there, shaking his head back and forth in a chair beside her bed. He looked exhausted, his slow, steady breaths implying he had been sleeping and her outcry had woken him.

"RUBY!" He smiled, rushing to her bed and gripping her in a strong hug. "You're awake!

"What…happened?" She shook her head, driving out the cobwebs mucking up her mind. She noticed Pyrrha sleeping in Yang's old bed across the room, somehow having remained undisturbed by her outburst.

"Your Uncle Qrow found you, both of you," he motioned towards Pyrrha. "Unconscious though, he got you out of there and home safe."

"Wait…YANG! Is she alright?" Ruby asked, the events leading up to her blackout coming back to her slowly. Her sister being the first thought to pop into her head.

Taiyang's smile immediately deflated, he lowered his head solemnly.

"Uh, she's um…sh-she's going to be alright. I think it's just going to take some time for her to get used to things. That…kid, Roland hasn't left her side; as much as I hate to admit it…he's alright. But don't you dare tell him I said so. She's too strong to let this stop her." He let a short sniffle through, acting tough as always.

"What happened to the school!? And Vale? Where you able to clear out the Grimm?"

Tai sighed again; he knew she would have a million questions. He explained how she had done a real number on the dragon at the school, but it wasn't dead, only frozen. It continued to attract more and more Grimm that they couldn't hope to clear out. Ruby stared blankly at him, unsure what he was talking about.

"You…said I did a number on it, what do you mean?"

"I," he glanced away a moment, shaking his head before looking back, "that's not important right now; we can talk about it later. Things are just…kind of a mess."

"It's always a mess," came a familiar grizzled voice from the front door.

Qrow was standing behind them in the process of shaking out the last drops of his flask…he must have had a long couple of days. Sliding it back into his coat pocket he approached the bed.

"Mind if we have a minute?"

"What, I can't stay here?" Tai asked, challenging Qrow's request.

"Tai…please."

The flaxen-haired huntsman sighed, clearly thinking there was no hope of changing his mind. Getting to his feet, he leaned forward, kissing his daughter on her head softly.

"I'm just glad you're alright. I'll go make us some tea." With those final words he made his way out of the room, Ruby missed the glare he gave Qrow as he passed him. Her uncle sauntered over to the chair Tai had been using, dragging to beside the bed he planted himself in it, leaning back comfortably.

"So…how you feeling?"

"Um…" Ruby sputtered, uncertain where to begin. "I kind of hurt…all over."

Qrow chuckled proudly. "That WOULD make sense, after what you did.

"You guys keep saying that!" She started to raise her voice in frustration. "That I did something, what are you talking about?"

Qrow leaned forward, suddenly serious. "What is the last thing you remember?

"We were atop the tower, Horatio was…!" Her look sprung up to her uncle's. "Horatio! Is he…?"

Qrow lowered his gaze solemnly; all he could bring himself to do was slowly shake his head.

"We were at the tower, we'd gotten Pyrrha back, but Horatio was talking to…Cinder." Ruby clenched her sheets tighter at mention of her name. "She struck him, I saw fire and just…just…"

Qrow reached out, laying a hand on hers comfortingly. He didn't want to, but he had to keep pressing.

"Anything…after that?"

"Everything went white, a-and my head hurt, it hurt so much…"

"The night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?"

Ruby thought back, it would have been the night she thwarted Roman Torchwick's dust robbery. She remembered Glynda's steely gaze and the dim light of the interrogation room at the station. She was absolutely terrified until he showed up, plate of cookies in hand.

"I…I think it was something about…"

"Silver eyes," Qrow finished for her. "That is an extremely rare trait."

"S-so what?"

"You're special Ruby, and not in the 'daddy loves his special angel' kinda way. You are special the same way…your mom was special."

Ruby just stared back at him, mouth agape. She had so many questions, but wasn't sure she wanted the answers.

"Remnant is full of legends and stories, some of them true…others made up. But there's one that Oz told me from a VERY long time ago. Back before huntsman, before kingdoms, it was said those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those with silver eyes."

Ruby looked down, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to listen anymore, but Qrow continued.

"They were the best of the best, it was said even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down. It's a ridiculous story," he added with a chuckle.

"I don't care."

Qrow looked at Ruby with a look of confusion.

"What was that kiddo?"

"I said I don't care!" Ruby blurted out, heedless of Pyrrha sleeping nearby. "I…I don't want to be a warrior, did you see what I did?" She had enjoyed fighting so much, slaying Grimm, beating White Fang members, but never taking a life. "Did you see what I'm capable of? I killed…"

Qrow cleared the distance to the bed, wrapping his niece in his strong arms, squeezing her close. Ruby didn't reciprocate the hug; she barely knew what to do as she sniffled.

"That wasn't your fault Ruby…he made his choice."

 _And left you to live with it._

The two just held the hug, uncle and niece together again, if only it were under better circumstances. Ruby didn't speak up again until her sniffles passed and tears had dried.

"I…I want to help," she whispered. "But…I don't have to fight to do it. I can help as I am."

"And waste all the skills you worked so hard with me on?"

Ruby glanced down at her lap again; she didn't know what to say.

"If...that is what you want," Qrow relented for the moment; it was obvious he didn't agree with her notion. "But there are a lot of monsters out there that don't agree with that sentiment, and I don't just mean the Grimm."

Her uncle got to his feet, taking a few steps towards the door.

"That tea will be ready soon; you should get your strength back up."

"But…what will you be doing?"

"Events are in motion Rubes, and with Ozpin gone I need to pick up the pieces. You know me, always another mission; I'll be heading out soon."

"What," she stuttered, keeping her eyes locked on him, "can I do?"

"Get better; recover your strength while I'm gone. This trail goes all the way to Haven after all, that'd be quite the trek for a pipsqueak like you. See ya around."

With a final flip of his hair he left the room, slowly closing it behind him. Ruby just sat in bed, eyes glancing over to Crescent Rose leaning against the wall. With a near-tearful huff she turned away, wrapping herself in the blanket. As the smell of tea started to reach her nose, a single thought reached her mind that had been buried by the remembrance of her trauma.

 _Yang!_

 **Several Weeks later…**

Time passed at Patch, quickly for some, painfully slow for others. Ruby had been disheartened to see the state Yang was in, resolving to remain in her room with the door closed. Roland had taken the guest room next door. During the day he could be found leaning against the wall talking to her, they could converse while keeping the space Yang had created between them. There were not enough beds in the house for so many, so Jaune had volunteered the floor in the same room, though was found more times than not near Pyrrha's side.

The previously upbeat Ruby looked utterly miserable. Olivia and Jaune kept the specifics of what happened at the tower between them, though they were certain Qrow would have told Tai at least. To everyone else…Horatio had fallen trying to stop Cinder. They saw no reason to bring Ruby's actions under fire for the time being.

The fall season drew to a close, in short order the trees had lost all their leaves and a thin layer of snow blanketed the forest floor. It was on a cold morning like this, that the young huntress made her move.

As the entire house slept, Ruby eased herself out of bed, already fully dressed in her combat skirt. She glanced towards the wall; Crescent Rose lying against the old wood compacted to its rifle form. Hesitation gripped Ruby's mind, the horrible thing she had done with her baby…the object she cared more about than any other in the world. With shaky hands and sweaty palms, she fought her fear and took the weapon, mounting it securely on her back. Laying a letter explaining her departure to her dad and picking up a satchel of supplies, she crept out, trying not to wake Pyrrha.

The house was quiet; Zwei would be sleeping with Tai so she didn't have to worry about him. Entering the hallway, she nearly jumped, Roland was asleep, sitting in a chair slumped against a wall near Yang's door. He must have fallen asleep again talking to her through the door again. Olivia wanted him to come…but she'd never force him to choose between going out to fight and staying with Yang. She hoped he'd forgive her once he realized they'd snuck out. She slipped past him unaware and out the back door, closing it silently behind her.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby muttered a whispered greeting to the young man standing outside. "Where is your stuff?"

"I," he stuttered. "I have decided I'm not going."

"Wh…what?" She asked in return. They had been planning the departure for the last two weeks. Cinder's team had claimed to be from Haven, but ever since Olivia revealed she had seen plans in Emerald's mind of assaulting Haven Academy next, they knew they had to go. "Why?"

"I need to be here for Pyrrha," he explained. Even he noticed her lack of improvement over the weeks at Patch. Her leg still hadn't fully healed; she wouldn't be able to fight as well as she had in the past even after her recovery. "I'm sorry."

Ruby looked out in the distance. Ren and Nora were speedily approaching, having gotten a ride from Jaune's family home. They did their best to hide the smirks at the stories his seven sisters had regaled them with of his childhood. Olivia would be sneaking out of the house next, they planned it to go one at a time to not arouse suspicion.

The door creaked open, Ruby sadly turned to welcome Olivia, but she wasn't alone.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune whispered a loud as he dared. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep through so many trying to sneak out," she joked, motioning to Olivia behind her.

"Don't try to blame me; you were already halfway to the door before you even spotted me!"

"Let's get back inside," Jaune approached her, taking a hand to help with the support crutches that, among other things, had been left by Esmerelda. Pyrrha planted herself and refused to move.

"No Jaune, you have to go with them."

The blonde huntsman just stared, confused as to why she was doing this.

"Pyrrha! I'm," he lowered his voice before continuing. "I'm not leaving you."

"You have to, remember? We have to save the world." She gave her unshakable smile despite the situation. "We promised to each other…and Horatio."

That last line jabbed at their hearts.

"You are my world," he whispered only for her.

The former Mistral Champion let the crutches collapse to the ground as she embraced him, the two pulling close into a renewed kiss. The others took a step back and looked away, giving them privacy.

"I'll still be here," she assured him as they parted, producing a bag of supplies from behind her back. Jaune saw a glint of metal…she had included the shattered remains of Miló, knowing he could make better use of them than she.

"I will…but I will be back! We'll save Haven and protect everyone, and then I am coming back here!" He pointed at the ground obstinately, every word he said ringing with absolute certainty. Leaning forward he retrieved her crutches. "Whatever dangers we face…"

"And face them we shall," Ren stepped forward, offering his words of wisdom. "And whether we'll find answers at the end is entirely uncertain."

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it!" Nora added beside him.

"And some payback will do us a lot of good," Olivia added.

The five of them looked between one another, each of them now resolved to make the journey…through thick and thin.

"Then…let's get started, but if it's okay, I'd like to see mom first," Ruby announced to an understanding nod from the others.

At last the team of huntsman, huntresses and friends started down the path, watched by the redheaded former champion. She stood there and watched them go, wishing beyond hope that she could have gone with them. She did not return to the house until they had vanished down the road far in the distance…

Overlooking the house on the hillside, Qrow Branwen stood watching the five go. He knew full well what they had planned and knew to be ready; he had actually skipped taking a drink that morning! Sighing heavily he glanced down at the item in his hands, Ozpin's cane. He had taken the liberty of relieving Jaune of it back at the tower, the young man was so worried about his friends he didn't notice or care. With a last squeeze, the aging huntsman leapt off the ledge and disappeared, a small black bird taking flight and soaring off into the horizon…

 ** _A smaller, more honest soul, it's true that a simple spark can ignite hope. Breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute._**

Taiyang stepped into Ruby's room, breakfast tray in hand. His smile faded instantly upon noticing Ruby's empty bed, her note laid out on the pillow for him. Dropping the tray where he stood, he rushed out into the hall, desperate to see if he could catch her in time, but hours had passed since their departure.

Running past Yang's room, the young girl stared outside at a familiar raven perched atop a branch. The bird in turn seemed to be watching her room, and the young man currently in the process of locating any sunflowers that stuck above the snow cover…he was not having any luck. Without a sound, the black bird took off, soaring far into the distance and out of sight.

 ** _Which is why…I will focus all of my power, to snuff it out._**

Far away, in Vale, a lone Bullhead hovered over the sea separating the city from Beacon. A young Cameron Hunter, now dressed in an Atlas pilot uniform, sighed in defeat. He had made another pass around the school and saw no sign of any additional survivors. The line of Grimm still congregating at the school could be seen even from so far, attracted to the frozen body of the…thing they had faced that night. Only the soft hand of a beautiful woman on his shoulder lifted his spirits from the void they had succumbed to.

 ** _How does it feel? Knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing. That your Guardian has failed you, and everything you've built, will be torn down before your very eyes._**

Glynda Goodwitch struggled; using her semblance to reassemble another building devastated in the attack…she'd been at it all day. She almost failed, yet somehow managed to put the structure back together, collapsing with a gasp to her knees from exhaustion. A simple gold chain, an emerald gemstone matching her eyes set in a band to match the chain glimmered at her neck. She never took it off as she continued reconstruction efforts.

 ** _Your faith in mankind was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy…they are a noticeable threat._**

Above her, unseen by all in the city, a black-haired cat Faunus leapt from rooftop to rooftop, seeking means to leave Vale and all she had grown to love there behind her. On the other side of the city, a distraught Sun desperately sought her out, to find the only woman who could make him smile despite the world coming undone around them.

 ** _But divide them, place doubt into their minds…and any semblance of power they had will wash away._**

An Atlesian Command Cruiser entered Atlas territory after their long journey. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company sat staring out at the skies she had once called home, having come back after so long. Hesitantly she glanced over at the man sitting beside her, her father. He did not appear to notice; resigning himself to stare ahead with a look of grim determination. He was not pleased that he had to make the trip to retrieve her. Behind her, Esmerelda stood at attention, assigned to keep them safe until she reconvened with Winter to continue her Specialist training. She wanted to comfort Weiss, but she dared not make a move with her father so near.

 ** _Of course, they won't realize it at first, like you…they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations. But this is merely the first move. So you send your Guardian, your Huntsman and Huntresses. And when they fall and you turn to your smaller soul, know that you send her to the same, pitiful demise._**

Ruby sighed as she looked over her mother's grave. She had so much to say, but there was no time for it.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered to the grave marker before her. "So I'll do what you taught me…move on, never looking back. I won't be back for a while, so…goodbye mom."

Her words of peace said, she turned to her friends in the distance who had given her space. With a nod they turned, the ferry not far off to the mainland…

 **Another Place, Another Time…**

"This is the beginning of the end Ozpin," the tall form muttered seemingly to no one. "And I can't wait…to watch you burn."

As she concluded, the woman heard her Grimm growl low behind her, signaling the arrival of someone new to her domain.

A young boy, no…he was surely now a man, battered from head to toe came limping up behind her. He looked as if he had traveled a long way. His aura was gone, legs trembling under his own weight and the body he carried. His arms were clearly straining, an ugly, recently-closed wound was visible on his chest, it would not heal clean, yet still he stood. His strength was utterly sapped, leaving him a dying ember of what he had once been.

In his arms lay a young woman, the girl who wanted power, Cinder Fall and the only reason her pets had not torn him to shreds instantly. Her once long black hair had mostly been burned away and now did not even reach her shoulders. Her clothes were similarly tattered as if she had been in an intense battle. She was wrapped in a once-blue overcoat to protect her modesty now stained red with blood both his and hers. Her left arm was gone just below the shoulder, the stump haphazardly tended to along with what remained of her left eye using the sleeves from the overcoat as makeshift bandages. Based on the man's stained deep-red hands, he had done it himself. She appeared to be already dead, only the sporadic, near-nonexistent rises and falls of her chest revealed otherwise.

"She…guided me here," the man gasped, collapsing to a single knee in front of the stairs before her in exhaustion. "No one will help her…not after what she did." He held out Cinder's beaten form, his scarlet eyes pleading more than words ever could. "Save her, please…I'll do anything."

The mysterious woman descended the steps to him, a single pale-white hand stroking soothingly across his cheek.

"Of course little ember," she assured him with a smile looking over his kneeling, almost penitent form. The red of her eyes flared brighter in the dark light of the unnatural terrain around them. "After all…you are already doing all I would have asked."

 **A brief wrap up as Volume 3 draws to a close, friends are forced down their own paths…for good or ill as the world is dragged into renewed conflict. Team HERO, RWBY and their allies must work to uncover the true architects of Beacon's fall…and the overall goals hidden away amidst shadow and deceit.**

 **Again, I cannot thank my readers enough, 3 Volumes completed...I never imagined I would make it so far starting this last year. The story will be on a temporary hiatus for a time. This will be to allow the canon to play out further with Volume 6 while I finalize Volumes 4 and beyond. I will be doing other projects as well as a separate HERO Chibi fanfic in the works so I will still be updating. In the meantime, as always I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :)**


	37. Volume 4-5: Haven Lost

**Hello everyone, to make it easier to locate the desired arc I have placed this Afterword to separate Volume 1-3 from 4-5 in my story. Chapters 1-36 will encompass the Beacon Days Arc. I will update this and subsequent divider chapters when applicable. The separate story Haven lost is still up if you prefer to view it separate from the rest.**

 **Chapters 1-36: Beacon Days**

 **Chapter 37+: Haven Lost**

 **As always…you are all appreciated, I hope you enjoy it!**


	38. Haven Lost: Councils and Introductions

**Hello everyone! I wanted to try something to keep the story together as a whole. Up until now, I have had Volume 4 of RWBY Heroes as a separate story, Haven Lost. In a desire to keep the story together, I was considering also updating this original version as a full compendium in addition to the separate story. This is a test as I am not sure if this would be wanted by fans, but I thought with the first chapter I could give it a try. Tell me what you think, and as always thanks for reading! :D**

 **Beacon has fallen, the huntsman and huntresses divided as they recover from the ordeal. Far from the realms of humanity, one such former huntsman remains…divided between his own hopes and dreams…and those of the world.**

If there was an embodiment of evil, this place was surely as close as possible to attaining that status. It was the realm where Salem, the mistress of those who made war on Remnant resided. The entire terrain was a barren, rocky wasteland; even the sky was an unnatural magenta and blood red hue. Similarly colored purple crystals dotted the landscape seeming to have erupted violently from the ground long ago.

Grimm stalked the land…so many they appeared to be a black flood from afar and their numbers only grew.

All of this could be seen by Mercury and Emerald from the relative safety of the room in which they now stood. It was clearly a meeting hall, an immense table constructed of the same material as the crystals outside was the only furniture save the chairs scattered around it. Ominous crystals, each with a single candle atop acted as the room's only illumination.

With a snap of her finger Cinder beckoned the two back to her side, they swiftly complied with Emerald ensuring she was standing closer.

She had changed a great deal since her encounter with Ruby Rose. Much of her long flowing hair had been burned away in the same battle which also claimed her left eye and arm. She now wore a flowing dress in her favorite shade of red split at the hip on her right side to reveal black pantyhose-covered long legs. Only her right shoulder remained bare, a small keyhole opening revealed her tattoo; the opening was made specifically to reveal only that and nothing else of her back. She had intended to leave it out…but had been asked to do otherwise. Strapped to her right thigh was her usual charm of blue feathers now clasped together by a familiar black rhombus-shaped crystal, the only surviving remnant of her first gift.

A wide sleeve covered the entirety of her new left arm and hand with gold trim dancing along the length and across the rest of the dress. Her right arm was bare but had an elbow-length black glove covering it held up with a gold band near the shoulder. Her left eye was covered by a black mask, obscuring the damage that had been done; only a pair of scars protruding from it hinted at what lay beneath.

"Yes, yes, do try to keep your….posse in check," muttered the man sitting across from her, his voice dripping with smug contempt.

Mercury scowled, taking a step forward he was only stopped by Emerald before he had planned to put his foot through the man's head.

The new man was dressed like a gentleman sporting a long trench coat, fingerless gloves and a complete suit including tie. Aside from his well-kept hair his greatest feature would have to be his impressive mustache failing to hide the sneer creeping across his face.

"Do you hear that?" he asked towards the other two sitting at the table. "Silence, I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you."

"If I were you," the man sitting on the same side of the table as Cinder started. He was wearing a white sleeveless vest with matching pants. His brown hair was tied into a single long braid. He was not so much sitting in his chair as he was perched atop it like a gargoyle. "I would hunt her down, find her and…well…she took YOUR eye didn't she?

Cinder gritted her teeth and scowled as he proceeded to burst into hysterical laughter, clearly unable to control himself. She struggled to speak; barely succeeding in letting out a few whispered groans, the battle against Ruby had cost her much.

Before she could make a second attempt an absolute silence fell on the room as the barest of creeks signaled that someone was opening the main doors. Everyone present got to their feet instantly as they flew open.

She seemed to not be walking into the room but rather gliding. Her dress was shadows and darkness made manifest, pale moonlight skin contrasting completely against it. Across her arms and face were blood red veins so dark they bordered on black. Her hair was nearly indistinguishable in color from her skin and was split into six offshoot braids wrapped in black fabric. Where her eyes should have been white they were instead jet black, her iris' as red as Cinder's dress, like blood.

This was Salem whom all in the room idolized or feared, she did not even look at any of them as she entered, stopping at the head of the table facing the window.

"Watts," she began, finally turning to face them. "Do you find this malignance necessary?" As she finished only then did she motion her approval for them to be seated.

"I apologize ma'am, I'm not particularly fond of failure."

"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder," Salem's voice was calm and could be misunderstood as kind. In actuality all in the room knew a single wrong word could end in their demise. "She's become our Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Tower, secured the loyalty of the Guardian for the first time in our entire history, and most importantly…killed dear Ozpin."

She gave a motherly smile to Cinder as she finished the last part.

"So I'm curious," she snapped her head back in Watts' direction. "To what…'failures' are you referring?"

"Well, she failed to kill the false Maiden, and then there's the girl with the silver eyes."

"Yes," the fourth member of their council finally spoke up. He was a giant of a man with arms like tree trunks. "We've dealt with her kind before, how is it a novice was able to best one of us?"

"My thoughts exactly," Watts continued. "Even without her new powers it should have been effortless."

"It is BECAUSE of that power," Salem explained. "The false Maiden is of no further concern to us, but make no mistake Cinder; you hold the key to our victory. However, your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness. This is why you will remain by my side during your treatment as well as…additional assurances to keep you from harm."

Cinder raised her eyebrow, clearly uncertain to what Salem was implying.

"I have a gift for you." Salem raised a hand and snapped her fingers; heavy footfalls could be heard from the hallway. Everyone in the room turned as the newcomer entered.

He wore heavy plate armor from head to toe; it was thick but still form fitting and did plenty to exhume an aura of dread from him despite his relatively average size. The armor was a pure black coloration with gold patterns going up the arms and down the back. The shoulders were curved and quite thick, upon them and the breastplate was an insignia of two burnt red high-heeled slippers pressed together into the shape of a heart, the same mark that adorned Cinder's back. Over his shoulders was slung a deep red cloak that swayed behind him.

He bore a helmet in a similar fashion to the old knights of Vale though the eye slit was instead replaced with a Nevermore-winged faceplate. Currently, he kept it shut tight, denying any glimpse of his face.

"Thank you for coming…Ember," Salem addressed him politely. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cinder start to rise from her seat in surprise…catching herself at the last moment and easing back down. "We have been far too long in inviting you to our councils. Please, step forward."

The armored knight approached Salem, immediately falling to one knee before her. "You do me honor," his deep voice echoed, amplified by the helmet.

Watts had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes for fear of immediate reprisal.

"You are the Guardian of this generation," Salem announced. "And behind you sits our Fall Maiden. As is your duty do you swear to protect her from all danger for as long as you are bid?"

The knight crossed his right hand balled tightly into a fist over his heart.

"Even was it not my duty, I would protect the Lady Cinder from all harm until my dying breath…of this I swear."

Watts had to restrain himself again.

"Then she is doubly blessed to have you by her side."

Salem glanced at Cinder; she was watching the young man kneeling on the ground with a proud smile upon her face. Clearly, she was pleased with his selfless proclamation though Salem was sure she saw the hint of a blush.

 _He had a greater impact on her than I believed, to think you still harbored such emotions little one…_

"Then rise," she concluded. "Take your place among us. I hereby dub you, her Guardian…her Knight of Cinders."

Ember rose to his feet, with wide powerful strides he walked past the open seats at the table, taking his place at Cinder's right side, Emerald and Mercury standing to her left.

"Dr. Watts," Salem commanded. "You are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral."

"Very good."

"Tyrian," this time she referred to the man hunched over his seat. "You are to continue your search for the Spring Maiden."

"Gladly," he sneered, rubbing his hands together, he was practically giddy.

"Do restrain yourself." Salem cautioned, fully aware of Ember's lineage. "If the Spring Maiden is still indeed the Lady Magnolia I want no harm to befall her."

Tyrian frowned but nodded obediently.

"And Hazel," she looked at the burly man to her right. "I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged a meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same."

"As you wish."

Cinder raised her hand, signaling she wished to speak. Emerald started to lean down but Ember beat her to it. She slowly and quietly whispered in his ear as best she could.

 _How elated the boy must be to hear her…melodious voice again in any form._ Salem chuckled internally. _His rage at the injuries she had sustained when he first arrived all those months ago was quite…intoxicating._

"She wishes to know," Ember started, standing back up to his full height. "What are our plans in regard to Ruby?"

"What about her?" Watts scoffed. "Seems to me she is Cinder's problem…not ours."

"Clearly your intelligence has been greatly over exaggerated, or at least your common sense," Ember turned towards Watts. "Your…our Goddess just announced how Cinder is the key to victory, yet you see no problem in letting a girl with her greatest weakness roam free. Perhaps we should have brought in Dr. Merlot."

Tyrian stifled another cackling laugh.

Watts scowled at Ember's faceplate; he did not like being talked down to. Neither saw a smile briefly flutter across Cinder's face.

"That is enough," Salem boomed, interrupting the two. They both relaxed and abandoned their verbal sparring with a polite bow. "Tyrian…"

"Yes my lady?"

"Spring can wait…find the girl that did this to Cinder…"

Tyrian's face lit up like the sun as he merrily clapped his hands together."

"Find her…and bring her to me."

Tyrian's smile immediately deflated once more, a look of sheer disappointment taking its place as he slumped down into his seat. He glumly nodded his understanding of her commands.

"And Ember," she turned to Cinder's side. "Before you fully take up your position as Guardian you will accompany Tyrian to acquire the girl. I imagine she would make quite the gift for your Maiden…no?"

Ember paled at the request beneath his helmet, hesitantly he turned to Cinder who replied with a single head nod, he had known her long enough to tell she was boiling inside. Were it not for Salem's presence half the room would likely be aflame.

 _There are always alternatives._

"I…trust milady's protection in her own hands as well as your Grace's presence until I return," he announced, bowing low once more towards Salem.

"Then collect your provisions and be off. I expect your departure within the hour…I hear Mistral is lovely this time of year. Beacon has fallen…and before this year is done Haven will be next. Doctor…I will speak with you."

All present at the table stood to take their leave save for Watts. Tyrian had started laughing maniacally as he was wont to do, no doubt picturing the carnage and mayhem he would unleash seeking the girl with the Silver Eyes. He could not kill her…but Salem had not said a word about her companions.

Ember caught up with Cinder, Emerald and Mercury in a corridor not far from the meeting room.

"May I speak with Cinder…privately," he requested. Cinder nodded to her disciples, giving them leave to depart, leading Ember to a nearby terrace overlooking the grounds for added privacy. The shattered moon was shining bright in the sky above.

"I will bring her here…for you," he assured her, removing his identity-obscuring helmet and laying it aside. "But please, I BEG of you to spare her, consider it while I am away. After that is finished I will stand by your side against any who would dare to try and harm you again…we will find a way just like we promised."

Cinder stared past him looking down slightly, not making eye contact. It infuriated him; she had been this way since she recovered…a shadow of her former self. Her previous vigor and confidence was gone to be replaced by a sullen cold with frustrated rage bubbling beneath; she had never known such a defeat. The Cinder he had truly met at the fall of Beacon would never have let Watts speak to her in such a manner. He reached out to take her hand.

She snapped it back before he could reach as she had done many times since her recovery, hiding it beneath her wide left sleeve. At the same time, she subtly pressed down the patch of hair she had styled to obscure the left half of her face and the mask beneath. Was she ashamed of the replacement arm Salem and Merlot had worked on? It made sense to hide it from her enemies to be used as a secret weapon…but from her allies…from him? Did she think it was hideous? He supposed it did not matter.

Ember was through acquiescing; he hadn't earned the feelings Cinder harbored for him because he was meek.

With unexpected speed he stepped closer, hands wrapping gently around her face. Cinder somewhat pulled back but not with much effort, her right hand raised to push him away…yet hesitated. Her Maiden powers flared and anger burned on her face for a heartbeat before receding at the concerned, determined, loving look he was giving her. He had seen her since the battle months ago beneath the bandages, her arm, her eye...the entire left side of her body and the reason she had modified her dress to cover it. He had told her many times, but now he needed to show her that such…physical changes did not matter to him; they didn't change how he felt.

Still cradling her face he pulled the Fall Maiden closer, removing her obsidian-glass mask with the utmost care and laying it beside his discarded helm. Risking annihilation itself, he brushed her hair aside to place a tender kiss upon the left half of her face despite the scarred and mangled tissue found there. Cinder froze solid, her remaining eye open in shock from the boldness of his actions, the fires of her Maiden abilities spiked with her heartbeat. Every instinct in her body honed from years of Salem's tutelage commanded her to push him back…she ignored them. After a purposefully drawn out moment, Ember broke the kiss and stepped back, opening his eyes to lock onto hers again.

"We will become stronger…so strong that no one will be able to challenge us, not Ozpin, not the Grimm or Huntsman, not even S-."

Before he could finish, Cinder wrapped her arms around him, pulling Ember into a strong passionate kiss. He reciprocated gladly, lifting her slightly off the ground as he held her close, the vigor betraying their mutual need for it. Ember ran his fingers through her hair, savoring the sensation on his hands again. The moment was perfect; he almost didn't feel Cinder drop something small and light into one of his pouches.

Mercury and Emerald, who had been watching for when they finished, immediately spun on their heels, suddenly becoming fascinated with the unique architecture of the building.

After a self-contained eternity of holding the embrace they parted, he stared into her remaining beautiful amber eye, neither wanting to let go.

"Thank…you," Cinder croaked out, barely loud enough for her knight to hear. But he was the only one who needed to. He would miss her on the long journey through Mistral with Tyrian, if only they had more than an hour...

 _Emerald, Mercury…sorry but you'll have to keep her safe a little longer until I return._

 **Back in the Throne Room…**

 **"** What are your thoughts on the boy?"

"Despite your training, he does not believe in our cause," Watts analyzed. "Much like her little gang his loyalty is second-hand through our Fall Maiden."

"That is nothing new," Salem dismissed. "Hazel is the same through his hatred of Ozpin is he not?"

"Too true ma'am, however his muse is dead, no chance of her giving him fresh ideas."

"The line of Guardians has been a thorn in my side protecting the Maidens for generations," Salem explained, glancing out the window across her domain. "To have one so willingly join us was…unprecedented."

"He truly believes he loves her," Watts sighed in disgust; he could not stand such ridiculous notions. "More likely it is nothing more than the attraction of his Guardian powers to those of the Maiden essence within Cinder."

Salem smiled somewhat as if she found his discomfort with the topic amusing. "Not a romantic doctor?"

Watts scowled slightly at that comment. "Not in the slightest ma'am. I know how most men think. True our Guardian Knight is more 'noble' than most, but that just makes it all the easier to make him ours. In the off chance he does decide to go against us that suit of armor I designed for him is more than enough insurance."

"Oh?" Salem sounded intrigued, it was the first he had mentioned it to her. "Go on."

"The metal is from a meteor that fell centuries ago, it is quite heavy, even Hazel would move like a snail while wearing it. I still do not understand how the boy can move so expertly in it, another mystery of the Guardian no doubt."

"No doubt."

"You see, the armor when worn in its entirety is a closed circuit, at the touch of a button I can lock up every joint it has completely. Unless he has secrets that we have not yet gleamed even he should not be able to move. If the lad turns against us, his armor will become his tomb."

Salem's smile widened. "Excellent, then let us hope such thoughts do not enter his mind. Young Cinder is quite…fond of the boy, I would hate for anything to befall him. If all works in our favor, we can even control the next line of Guardians for generations to come. It is far more reliable than the Maiden selection process."

"Understood," Watts cringed internally. He was well aware of what an asset the Guardian could be to their cause now and down the line, but the thought of Cinder as a mother still unnerved him.

Salem leaned back in her chair. Between the fall of Beacon and the death of Ozpin, it would be some time before she had to think of him again, there was no one left who could stop them.

 **The pursuit begins; Tyrian and Ember begin their hunt for Ruby at the behest of both their Goddesses. Will the young huntress be able to stay ahead of them? As always Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**

 **For those following my stories, a commission was recently completed of a scene from this very chapter. To find it, simply search "A Fallen Knight's Devotion" By AzaryaS on DeviantArt. How well she captured the idea for the scene cannot be praised enough**


	39. One Step at a Time

**Another update for the total story, this time Chapter 2 of Volume 4: Haven Lost. Whether you read it in the separate story or this one first, I hope everyone enjoys it. :D**

Olivia twiddled her thumbs, she had been sitting in that tree almost an hour. She should have been back by now. The young sniper adjusted the thicker body armor she had adopted since departing from Patch. It was more cumbersome, but that was for the added protection it offered. She wore a sleeveless vest woven from thick fibers specifically made to resist Grimm claws and teeth. Her arms were bare, but that was mostly due to the warm climate as it would have been unbearable otherwise. Her trousers were equally thick with a sturdy belt full of pouches all in the same camouflage color scheme of her previous gear.

Olivia had not been able to cut her hair in some time and it was showing. Her bangs had to be styled to stay out of her eyes, the ponytail was much larger but that wasn't what had her uneasy. Almost half of her hair was now a platinum-silver coloration and she found another strand or two extra each day. Up until then, she had managed to convince everyone it was from stress but that wouldn't hold up much longer.

 _ **The pacifist sniper friend of yours might not have made it.**_

"She made it," she muttered to herself despite the fact it was not necessary. "We just have to wait."

 _ **I'm good at that, do you know how unbearable being unheard for years can be with nothing to do in this boring space between your ears?**_

"I'd prefer you go back to being just there."

 _ **Aw, now why is that? I thought we could be friends…besides, doesn't the idea of having someone else watch your back put a…smile on your face?**_

Olivia's attention shot down to the limb she was sitting on. She had been completely unaware that her left hand had been moving on its own, carving a smiley face into the wood. Reflexively she clenched her fist, more troubled than she had been before.

"Iiiiiinccoommmming!" She heard a familiar red-hooded huntress in the distance as she came barreling through the nearby trees. A whirlwind of red rose petals preceded the collapse of trees behind her. Even from the distance she was, Olivia could see it coming.

Ruby was moving through a combination of her semblance and momentum from Crescent Rose though it was just for show. Since setting out, she kept it loaded with blanks, powerful enough to propel her through the air, but not enough to harm a fly.

 _She is still blaming herself…_

Behind her was the pursuing Grimm tearing down the forest in its pursuit of the young huntress. It was as tall as the trees; Olivia spotted what she thought was a boulder hurtling towards Ruby, only to realize it was in fact a limb of the colossal monstrosity.

 _You've gotta be kidding me! Was this thing at a rock quarry when she caught up to it?_

Ruby leapt through the trees, there's no way she'd reach the kill zone in time at that pace. She'd have to get closer and hope the others could keep it busy while she located its weak point.

She had to be quick…

 **Farmstead in Mistral…**

The young boy shot up in his bed, panting heavily with sweat pouring down his face. The nightmare again, that was the third time this week. He could never recall all of the details, just something about fire…and darkness all around him and a laughter that cut him to the bone. Fortunately it always faded given time, by breakfast it would be out of his head.

At least this time it seemed to have held off waking him until morning, he could spot the sun shining through the barn window. He had even beaten the rooster, maybe he could finish a little early. Sliding down the ladder from the loft which he called his room, he threw open the doors and looked over the acres surrounding his aunt's house and barn. It was hard work, but he felt a great sense of accomplishment for what he did.

His aunt would no doubt be getting up soon to have food ready; it was up to him during that time to make sure everything was shipshape. He got to work, watering the crops, ploughing the portions that were his responsibility and finally feeding the animals. At long last he had completed his tasks and dragged himself towards the main house.

The fresh smell of breakfast assailed his nose as he opened the door, all of his work was finally about to pay off.

"Perfect timing Oscar," a dark-haired older woman welcomed him. She was sitting across from a steaming plate of eggs, bacon and other assorted breakfast staples. The boy hopped into the chair, greedily digging in with only a nod of thanks and a wide smile on his face.

"Fhe chikhins were a little on…"

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

Oscar hastily chewed his current food and swallowed quickly. "The chickens were a little on edge today," he explained again much clearer. "Did I sleep through a storm last night?"

"None that I am aware of," his aunt answered after a brief thought. A few of the other hands will be coming in later, but none are here yet. Maybe something passed through?"

"Hmmm, none of the traps were sprung," Oscar leaned back, taking quick bite of bacon. "Plus I doubt anything that exciting would ever happen around here."

"And be thankful for that," his aunt asserted. After what happened as Beacon and the rest of Mistral…be glad you are as far from excitement as you are."

Oscar couldn't argue with that, even the rare information that came through sounded bad with Grimm attacks, White Fang and others. He had to agree that it was for the bes…

A loud knock at the door broke his thought process. "I'll get it," he volunteered, hopping up to his feet.

 _Hanz and the other hands got here early…_

Oscar froze as he pulled open the wooden door, it was definitely not Hanz.

The man standing outside was just shy of six feet tall armored from head to toe in a type of black steel Oscar had never seen before. His face was obscured by an equally dark helmet that had…wings? The chestplate was mostly covered by a wide cloak though a heart-emblem he was unfamiliar with could barely be seen beneath. The young farmhand froze at the intimidating sight before him. The weapon on his back was enormous…

The armored warrior started chuckling behind his helmet, his voice reverberating loudly and drawing his aunt to the door.

"I did not mean to scare thee," his speech was quite odd to Oscar whose fear had now been replaced by confusion. "I was hoping that a friend of mine may be staying here or perhaps passed by."

"Who…is your friend?" His aunt asked, lowering her voice to a more sultry tone, brushing her bangs from her face.

"An old classmate," he boomed, though his intimidating voice held no malice. "She is fond of red combat skirts, black hair with red tips, carries a large scythe…wouldn't be much older than this one." He motioned towards Oscar with his gauntleted hand. "She would have been with several others."

"I'm afraid no one like that's come by," she assured him. "Though it's early in the day, if you stay…maybe for dinner, perhaps they will show up."

Oscar silently groaned.

"That is a generous offer ma'am; however I am afraid my associate is not a…people person."

Glancing out past the armored shoulders, Oscar spotted another man standing at the far end of the road. He was taller and sleeker than their visitor with a single long braided ponytail going down past his waist. They couldn't tell for certain from the distance, but he seemed to be smiling in such a way that felt…wrong.

"Also, they would have been in a rush, huntress work and the like. I wish you both a good day."

Nodding his head as if tipping a hat, the stranger turned, starting down the path away from the farm.

"If…" Oscar's aunt started. "If your friend is a huntress, there were some bandit warnings reported in Shion village before the CCT went down. It is quite a ways off on foot, but perhaps they went there seeking work."

"That is greatly appreciated," the knight bowed low, his cloak flapping in the breeze. "You have my sincerest thanks ma'am."

"Please, call me Melanie, don't be a stranger if you pass by again."

Oscar rolled his eyes as he aunt swooned at his words. His heartrate was just now getting back to normal. It wasn't so much the newcomer that caused his spine to shiver…but the eerie distant smile of his traveling companion. Somehow, despite never having seen the heart-shaped emblem before Oscar could not shake the feeling that it seemed familiar.

 **Down the Road…**

"Well?" Tyrian asked as his armored ally returned. "Do they know anything I can…coerce from them?"

"No, they do not as I told you," he replied flatly as he motioned to continue along the path. "There is some activity in a village a few days out. We can continue looking there and en route."

Tyrian giggled, barely restraining himself. Taking one final glance behind he looked over the quaint farm, burning it to memory in the off chance the village didn't pan out and he'd have to return. He added it to the list.

Salem's servant had donned a large trench coat, it was best to look as inconspicuous as possible when traveling the Mistral countryside. Ember stood out far more, though with his antiquated-looking armor beneath his wide cloak, most passersby seemed to be mistaking him for a Huntsman.

"So, which ones do you want?" The unsettling man muttered once they had gotten a fair distance away. "When we find them."

"We are only here for Ruby, remember she is to be unharmed."

Tyrian slumped his shoulders acting as if Ember had said nothing he could have chalked any error up to forgetfulness. The sneer returned soon enough to his face.

"She'll only be unharmed until we get her back to YOUR Goddess. I am sure she will be quite grateful and willing to shower all of her good graces upon you like she did before we left…"

Ember turned, gripping Tyrian's collar and pinning him to a nearby tree, cracking its trunk from the impact. His eyes burned behind his helmet, even Tyrian could sense it.

"Do…NOT…talk about Cinder like that EVER again. Salem only needs ONE set of eyes on the road."

Tyrian raised his hands defensively, still smiling all the while as if he did not take the threat seriously. "Of course of course, I had no ill intent. After all we both serve the same Goddess in the end. If my lady spent as much time with me as yours did I could die a happy man."

Ember released Tyrian and continued their path forward, Shion village was quite far, and they would have to travel with little rest to reach there in a reasonable amount of time.

"So…how did you join our merry band?" Tyrian asked, surprisingly composed as if he were truly curious. "Her Grace did not deem to tell us."

Ember glanced over surprised, looking up at the sun as he thought.

 **Months ago…**

Horatio Soplar paced outside the door, a chair had been provided for him but he could not use it. The doctor had been working on her for almost three hours with no updates to her condition, any longer and he would go mad!

His own injuries had already been tended, from what Watts explained he'd been unconscious for a week of treatments and was commanded to stay in bed but there was no chance of that. He did not trust a single person here, the only ones he felt at least had Cinder's best intentions in mind were Emerald and Mercury to an extent. If Emerald had not volunteered to assist Dr. Watts he would have forced his way inside long ago. His chest still burned from the wound and it hurt to breathe too deeply even after he'd reconstituted his aura…but he pushed it aside.

The lock clicked, snapping Horatio towards the door as it slid open revealing Dr. Watts and Emerald.

"She…will make it," he confirmed. Horatio locked the man in a bear hug before he said another word, thankful beyond words.

"And?" He asked after pulling away.

"As you well know her injuries were extreme. While I commend your attempt at first-aid there was nothing to be done. Her left eye was unsalvageable. Her throat was also badly maimed, particularly the vocal cords; I estimate it will be some time before she can fully speak again. I am also uncertain as to when exactly she will awaken…even with her injuries I would have expected her to regain consciousness by now."

Horatio looked shaken but much of what was said he had expected.

 _But she's alive._

"I will discuss with her Grace what we can do about her lost arm though there is no further risk of infection. For now she absolutely must remain in bed while she regains the energy to rebuild her aura. Her healing will be expedited once that is done. She will also need assistance with all daily activities including food and water." With those final words Dr. Watts took his leave and started down the hall eager to wash his hands.

Horatio stepped into the room, it was smaller than he imagined. There was an ornate glass window overlooking the unnatural landscape with a single bed near it in which Cinder now lay. A chair was in the corner near a wooden desk he couldn't imagine would see much use. The room was lit by a series of candles perched atop the creepy purple crystals. There was a bookshelf but it was empty, Horatio hoped she would be moved to nicer accommodations after she recovered.

Cinder was sleeping as soundly as possible; she was bandaged from the waist up as well as the left side of her face. Her remaining arm was lying at her side flexing randomly as if she were dreaming.

"Did they give you a room?" Emerald asked. She looked exhausted.

"Yea, but it's on the other side of the Keep so I doubt I'll be using it very much," Horatio replied, pulling the chair towards the wall closer to Cinder's bed. "I'll watch over her tonight, you get some rest. I can basically fall asleep anywhere. If….when she wakes up I can get her breakfast."

Emerald looked him up and down; clearly she did not trust him yet. He couldn't blame her; they had been enemies until recently. After how she and her team had pulled the wool over their eyes so totally at Beacon he couldn't say he trusted her either.

"I'll be back in the morning," she advised almost as a threat. "I'll be the one assisting her with most of the daily routines…like changing her bandages."

 _What kind of men have you met to think that low of me?_

As Emerald left the room with a yawn, Horatio got to work finding a comfortable position to sleep in. The desk was too small to lay his head down on, as much as he would have liked leaning against the bed, if Cinder did awaken she would be likely to kill him. In the end he settled for a slouched sitting position. After a short while his eyes started to feel heavy as he drifted off to sleep.

He did not know how long he had slept, but he was jolted awake like a bullet. The room was noticeably colder, even in the dark room the ambiance appeared…too dark. He could see a great shadow looming over the bed, twin red eyes burning in the night. Lighting one of the nearby candles he focused on the form.

It was her.

"Oh, I am sorry for waking you," Salem apologized. "I thought you would be in your own room, are the accommodations not to your liking?"

Horatio calmed himself before answering, if what Cinder had said was true, even he had no hope of victory against her.

"I cannot answer that," he replied truthfully. "I have not seen my accommodations since I was allowed to walk the keep. You must be Cinder's…Mother?"

Salem tilted her head at his statement. "Is that what she called me?"

"Once," he confirmed, remembering their discussion by the cliffs of Beacon. "When the discussion of family came up."

"How precious, she has never called me such a title in person. Is that why you are here, you consider Cinder family as well?"

"I-I merely felt more at ease here to ensure her safety."

Salem chuckled as if he had told a whimsical joke. "She is absolutely safe in this place. No one would dare enter my domain unbidden…after yourself of course. This is the safest place in all of Remnant."

 _Except from you._

"Even so, as long as it does not…displease your Grace, I would prefer to sleep here." Horatio sighed in relief at remembering the title Watts had referred her to.

Salem looked him over, resting her chin on her hand in thought as she glided about the room.

"I see no harm in it," she finally replied with a smile. "It would do well for our Maiden and Guardian to become more acquainted with one other."

Horatio glanced up at Salem sheepishly. "You know about that?"

"Dear boy, I have been facing Guardians for a VERY long time. I know how to tell when I have one in my midst just as surely as you'll be able to tell a Maiden in yours, in time."

"So what now then?"

"You are no threat in this place even if you meant to be one. I cannot say if my agents could have found young Cinder in time to save her from her injuries without you. That alone has earned you the right to not be judged by the poor decisions of your predecessors."

Horatio swallowed hard, being in front of her was intimidating. He had a feeling even his abilities would not help him here. Had Cinder told her everything about him?

"You may think of this Keep as your home for the time being," Salem continued. "The entire first floor is yours to do with as you will, but do not attempt to access any above or the castle beyond…it is forbidden. Also it is best to not venture outside, my Grimm may not be so kind unless I have given you leave or am with you." Horatio nodded his understanding of the restrictions. "Is there anything you desire at this time?"

"I…just wish to ensure she recovers as quickly as possible." He stood to his full height, adopting some of the over the top archaic speech mannerisms he acquired when nervous. "I could not prevent this, I won't fail her again."

Salem eyed him up and down, no doubt analyzing every fiber of his being as her gaze looked through his body and soul.

"You love her."

Horatio held his composure; unnerved by how well he was acting on the outside, he had changed more than he cared to admit.

"No need to answer, it was not a question."

Salem glided around the bed until she was directly in front of him, his feet had turned to ice the moment he'd first seen her and would not move. Slowly and with surprising gentleness she embraced him, cupping the back of his head like a child's. Her sleeves were so large they almost completely encompassed Horatio in their folds.

"Welcome…to the family."

 **Present Day…**

"That," Ember admitted to Tyrian. "Is a long story."

 **Patch…**

Roland slowly climbed the steps with a food tray in hand. He made sure to avoid the second step from the top, that one was always so squeaky it could wake the entire household. Too many times he had fallen prey to that board.

He stopped at the door towards the end of the 2nd floor hall, checking his scroll it was two minutes to seven in the morning. He had a moment to spare. He hadn't even seen her since the first day when she'd ordered him from her room, was she still avoiding him? He knew she'd need time from the get go…but it still hurt all the same. The tray in his hands had a single plate with a bacon omelette pre-cut with a side of toast and juice. With the snow having recently melted, he had been able to pluck a fresh sunflower for the first time in weeks and had it sitting in a small glass partially filled with water. It would keep it vibrant until she moved it into the larger vase within.

 _Game face_

"Room service!" He called out as the time struck seven exactly, rapping on the door several times with the back of his hand. "Chatteau de Roland is open!"

"Thank you," came a weak response from within. He waited outside the door several seconds but there was no further reply. As usual she wouldn't open the door to retrieve the food until he was out of sight.

"Anytime!" He called back, doing his best to retain the chipper tone of voice as he laid the tray in front of the door. With noticeably slower steps, he retreated back down the stairs, uncaring at the annoying squeak of the step that plagued his stay at Patch.

Finding the kitchen, Yang's father Taiyang, or Tai for short, and Pyrrha were already nearly finished with their meal while his own sat there still hot but untouched. Throwing a smile to them, he took a seat and dug in.

"How's uh…" Tai started, doing his best to act nonchalant. "How's she doing?"

"She…sounded better," he replied, reaching for any positive he could think of as the young man picked at his food. "A few octaves louder, that's a good sign."

Tai nodded his understanding, taking the final bite of his plate before taking his dish to the sink. "I'll get yours Pyrrha."

"Thank you sir," Pyrrha pushed away from the table and stood, a loud clunk accompanied her steps.

Among the gifts left behind by Esmerelda was what at glance looked like a silver boot up to just below the knee. It was a variation of the sleeve Roland had worn himself to deal with his broken arm. It seemed to be helping, yet Pyrrha was still unable to put any real weight on her heel without it. The technological prowess of Atlas was far less effective dealing with an injury caused by a Maiden. Despite the restricted movement she could achieve without pain, Pyrrha was never idle. If she wasn't helping Tai around the house she was meditating in the yard or doing limited exercises to keep in shape. Roland joined her occasionally if only to try and catch a glimpse of Yang from her window, so far he had been unsuccessful.

"I can help sir," Roland offered, approaching the sink with his own plate once he had inhaled his food.

"That won't be necessary," Tai shot him down. "You just got out and do…whatever."

"It's no problem," Roland pushed. In all the time since arriving at Patch he had done virtually nothing but practice and meditate. He had planned to work on his shield a dozen times, yet once he actually saw it the drive left him. He didn't want to face it, at least not yet. "I did a bunch of housework back home; dishes, laundry, yard work. Put me to work sir!"

Tai sighed at his words, sounding quite frustrated.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes…I mean no…well yes," he corrected himself several times before turning around to lean against the sink.

"Considering we are stuck together for the duration sir," Roland swallowed hard. The two had been tiptoeing around each other since he got there; if they would have any chance of not killing each other by the end…they had to talk. "I'd feel better if you just tell me what's wrong, I can take it."

"Just, look at it from my perspective kid," the older huntsman started, eerily calm. "I send my little girls off to Beacon to become huntresses, one of the most dangerous professions in the world. I know they can handle it; I prepared them as best I could...no issue. I get updates sure, they are good girls and they keep in touch with their old man."

Roland nodded with Tai's assertions; he knew full well Ruby especially used her scroll to keep in touch with home as often as she could.

"Then, I watch Yang get accused of cruelty mid-match…and before I can even do anything about it all chaos breaks loose and my…" he paused as if to prevent his voice from breaking. "My girl shows up home missing an arm with a boy she's been dating nearly a year that I had NO idea about. How would you feel?"

 _Left out? Confused?_

"Hurt," Roland answered truthfully. It took every ounce of willpower not to look away. "I should have talked to you sir, I should…"

"Neither of you did kid, I just want to know why."

Roland sighed, leaning forward onto the table for support. "We meant no disrespect, we just…we thought we had more time."

Tai's eyes widened somewhat as his features softened at the statement, with how mature Yang acted, he often forgot she was still just a seventeen year old girl. He was her old man, as if she would come running to him about her first boyfriend.

"My family met Yang at the Vytal Festival, it wasn't fair to you sir." Stepping around the table, Roland bowed before Tai causing him to shirk back at his actions. "Mr. Xiao Long…if you will have me, I would be honored to have your blessing to court Yang going forward."

Tai just stared at Yang's first boyfriend, he was bowing at nearly a ninety-degree angle, face down and locked on the floor. This was the same kid who, with no hesitation whatsoever, had offered to literally give up his arm for her.

"Get up," Tai finally ordered, unable to stand someone halfway down on their knees in front of him. "Grab a towel, I am pretty sure her opinion is what matters most…but you can earn your way to an answer by drying some dishes for me…"

 **Anima Forest…**

"Bad…landing…strategy!" Ruby shouted in between each branch she struck on the way down from the tree, the enormous Grimm still on her tail.

The giant golem towering over the trees made of massive boulders was a Geist Grimm, a rather unorthodox breed that could possess inanimate objects to use as its body. The only sign that it was in fact a Grimm was the giant one-eyed mask infused to its chest. With a titanic swipe it sheared the tops off the trees Ruby had been perched atop but the slippery huntress ever stayed one step ahead.

"She's got it into the glade, distract it!" Jaune shouted as Ren and Nora took off from their hiding place on the forest floor.

The two had certainly changed in the months following the fall of Beacon. Ren now wore his hair down which had grown quite long nearly reaching his waist. His green attire was similar to that worn at school, however now had long tailcoats and was now sleeveless save for the band running from his fingers up to past his elbow closed in place with a metal armband. His weapons remained the same twin green pistols.

Nora's outfit was relatively unchanged though she had ditched the heavier armor in favor of a blue short-sleeved jacket with her hammer-emblem printed on the back. The heart-shaped opening in her white undershirt had a single slash through it as a result of the battle at Beacon. She had refused to give up her pink combat skirt. With an ever-cheerful grin on her face she proceeded to start lobbing round after round of pink grenades into the Grimm.

The volley exploded into its back yet did no real damage, whatever the Grimm had done to command the stones around it appeared to have reinforced their durability as well. Ruby continued to distract the creature, whirling around it with her semblance and preventing it from focusing on the others. She may be unwilling to shoot Crescent Rose…but that didn't mean she was useless in a fight. She had gotten so much practice with her semblance as a result of her insistence against firing a single live round.

"Try getting him to turn around!" Jaune called out from the ground. He currently had no shield or sword and was doing little more than running around the border of the fight.

Ren leapt to the peak of one of the remaining trees and took off into the air. With both blades extending he spun like a sawblade into the top of the Geist Grimm, his weapons scraping off its rock-hard exterior without piercing.

"I got it!" Nora called out, running directly at the monster head on, hammer extended. Showing no fear, she performed a two-handed swing at the same time it brought a stone-arm down upon her. She didn't even need the dust injectors Esmerelda had left with them at Patch. She had a handful preloaded with lightning crystals in her pocket just in case.

The herculean huntress won the exchange, the arm shattering into boulders and flying across the field. An especially larger one went hurtling towards Jaune, before it could impact Ruby leapt in front, slicing it in half down the middle. She may have sworn against using Crescent Rose against anyone she could hurt…but she had no qualms against using it on anything else to protect her friends.

A loud gunshot echoed as the Grimm lost a limb, causing birds that had remained in the area to scatter to the winds. A massive anti-armor shell whizzed past the team, impacting the now-undefended mask of the Geist. Despite an amazing shot from Olivia beyond the Grimm's vision, only the upper right quadrant shattered. The effect was noticeable; however as portions of rock sloshed off, reducing the size of the beast they fought.

"Did you see that?" They heard Olivia cheer over their scrolls. A second round fired, however the Gest was ready, blocking it with a remaining arm based on her first. "Oh come on!" She had forgotten to switch off transmit when venting her frustration.

Nora was frantically dodging, after the first hit, the Grimm was not allowing her a chance to power up a second. Again and again it pounded the dirt, each hit closer and closer to hitting home.

"We just need to shatter the rest of it!" Jaune called out, nursing a bruise on his head where a chunk of the boulder Ruby deflected had chipped off and conked him. "Ren, Ruby…Rose Flowers!"

Ruby ran ahead, grabbing Ren by his arms who turned with a nod of approval. In a flash she activated her semblance, the two transforming into a red and green tornado heading straight for the Grimm's mask. The phantasm-monstrosity was learning, however and turned to face them, a new, ghastly almost skeletal black arm emerging from a portal where the first had been. Fingers extended, it reached out to grab the incoming children.

Before impact, Ruby deactivated her semblance, swinging her scythe to block the incoming swipe. Crescent Rose caught the hand, allowing Ren to go flying forward, landing directly on its face. With nowhere to grip, he had to be fast. The moment his feet planted into the stone, he brought his pistols to bear, performing a cross-slash splitting the remaining mask into pieces.

Ren plummeted to the ground, only to be caught by the timely intervention of Nora. She held him almost like a bride, grinning wide at her childhood friend's current position. She could not rest easy, however as the presence of the Grimm dispersed, the unstable tower of rocks began to crumble. She narrowly dodged out of the way, still cradling Ren in her arms.

"We did it!" Ruby announced proudly, leaning on Crescent Rose as the others gathered around the remains.

"Another victory for Team JNRRR!" Jaune proclaimed, setting one foot atop a nearby chunk of rock and standing proudly. After a few seconds he glanced left and right as if realizing what he had just said. "Alright Ren, y'know I think you're onto something, it…it's just not sounding great anymore."

"RNJRR is always still an option," he allowed a grin remembering their previous discussions of what they should call themselves as a team.

"ORRNJ is still viable too!" Olivia's voice crackled over the scroll as she made her way to rendezvous with them. "That one is actually a color!"

"But wouldn't you have to be the leader for that one to work?" Nora pointed out.

"And I would be willing to shoulder such a heavy burden," she sarcastically responded after an uncomfortable moment of silence.

 **A Few Hours Later…**

Ruby shook the village elders hand; despite the clear joy in their actions he retained his composure as befit his station. The rest of the team stood behind her proudly as they were recognized for their deed.

"We truly can't thank you enough," he smiled before finally releasing her hand.

"Just…doing our job sir!" Ruby replied though hesitated in her enthusiasm before giving a quick two-finger salute. With her cheerful demeanor, Ruby was the perfect one to represent them with the villages they assisted.

After arriving on the mainland from Patch, the five had set out towards Mistral and Haven. Along the way they had gotten…sidetracked. It seemed that Grimm were threatening everywhere and they couldn't just ignore the nearby villages. They had been too late at the first…the team still remembered the Grimm overrunning the buildings, fire everywhere. It had been far too reminiscent of Beacon.

"We were afraid we'd have to relocate," the elder chuckled, the stress of the last week lifting slowly from his shoulders.

"Well, we are on our way to Mistral," Ruby offered despite the incredibly delay it would cause. "You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."

"I thank you for your offer, but you kids aren't from around these parts. Anima is a large continent and I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life."

 _ **Stay and die…with the Grimm moving in this area I give this village a month…three at best…**_

Olivia quickly punched the side of her head, silencing the voice. The others turned at the sound, but by the time they had she was standing there completely innocent looking around confused as if she had no idea why they were looking at her.

"I just wish we could pay you more," he lowered his head as if in thought as to how it could be accomplished.

"Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient," Ren asserted, glancing over the Jaune who replied with a nod.

 **Not Far…**

"There you go son!" The burly horned-faunus blacksmith slammed a breastplate onto his counter. "It's gonna be heavier than you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws!"

The armor was much thicker than the one he had been wearing since his first day at Beacon. For one thing it actually covered all of his chest and not just the top and shoulders as his old did. Gold and bright red metal lined the shimmering white of the armor.

"Wow, uh," Jaune fumbled with his words at the sight of the armor forged of his design with Pyrrha's fragments of Milo. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on! I'll go get the rest." With that last word the blacksmith disappeared into the back.

"Well," Olivia sneered, leaning around to look Jaune in the eyes. "Put em on!"

"Oh…right," he stuttered, stepping forward to the counter and sliding off his current chest piece. "I…guess I was going to grow out of it eventually." He smiled at the set that had served him for so long.

"A sign of progress," Ren added his words of wisdom.

"Progress…right," still hesitating to don his new armor, he turned around to his friends. Ruby's eyes shot wide open as she saw his hoodie he'd been wearing beneath.

"Wh-what is THAT!" she cried, still sputtering with laughter she could barely contain.

Beneath Jaune's armor was his black hoodie, and printed on the front was the head of a big white rabbit complete with ears and everything.

"What…this is what I always wear!" Jaune fell into defensive mode. He had never even realized that throughout all of his time at Beacon, no one other than Pyrrha, Ren and Nora had seen him without his armor with the hoodie. His face was turning red.

"It's a cute little bunny rabbit!" Ruby was incapable of containing herself. It was the first time in a while they had seen her as cheerful as she used to be all the time.

"Is that…Pumpkin Pete?" Olivia snickered a little, far more composed than Ruby though not by much. Jaune nodded quickly an affirmative.

"Wh-what did you do? Send in a bunch of box tops?"

"Yea…fifty! How do you think I knew Pyrrha's face so well?"

Ruby lost all control, cackling like a madwoman she fell backwards, only being caught by Olivia as she continued laughing. Turning around she buried her head in Olivia's shoulder, doing her best to hold back and failing miserably.

 _ **I swear if she doesn't shut up I am going to take her own scythe and shove…**_

"Can't have a huntsman without his weapon!" The blacksmith called out as he returned. "Made all the modifications you asked for!"

He produced Jaune's upgraded Crocea Mors unfolded right there on the counter. The sword was sheathed within the confines of the shield which double for both purposes. As with his armor, intertwined red and gold trim ran along the border and the handle of the blade was now a vibrant gold. What stood out more than anything, however was the adjusted Arc emblem on the front. The moon-shaped sigil was now angled towards the northwest quadrant with a familiar red-javelin emblem overlapping it. Between Jaune and Pyrrha's intertwined emblems, it appeared like a red spear was impaling a crescent moon.

"That was some fine metal you brought me, the red and gold went well with the white. I was surprised at how much I got out of those pieces you provided. Where'd you get it from?"

"From someone…very important to me," Jaune replied with a solemn yet still somehow goofy grin on his face as he thought of her waiting back in Patch. "She thought that I could make better use of it."

"We'll give you a moment to change," Olivia assured him, ushering the others out of the shop at the realization that Jaune's lips seemed to be quivering.

"So," the horned-metalworker started up. "Any idea what you want to do with your old armor? The material is still top notch if a bit outdated in its design."

"You know," Jaune smiled as he had been thinking ahead. "I was hoping you could do something else for me…"

Outside the shop, the remaining four awaited the return of their friend. Nora and Ruby were practically giddy at the new armor and equipment for Jaune, he had sorely needed it. Fortunately, they did not need to wait long.

Jaune emerged from the shop, his new armor glistening in the sun as he stepped out of the shade. Along with the chestpiece, he had thick gauntlets that stretched up to the elbow. There had even been enough extra armor for both shoulders. Proudly, Jaune drew his sword and extended the shield, showing off to his team.

Olivia could not help but notice a red sash tied around his waist, it was clearly the same Pyrrha had worn with her own huntress attire.

 _Did she include that in the bag of goodies she gave to Jaune?_

"He cleans up alright, wouldn't you say?" The blacksmith chuckled, clearly pleased with his work.

Olivia let out a sharp whistle of how impressed she was at his change from Beacon. He may have acted the role of leader before but now he looked it.

"I still think a grenade launcher would have REALLY brought the look together," Nora added her opinion cheerily.

"Or a gun of SOME kind," Olivia groaned, realizing his sword looked scarcely different from before. She missed the grin from Jaune out of the corner of her eye.

"Team RNJRR is ready to go!" Ruby pointed forward towards the road ahead.

"Team JNRRR!" Nora growled.

"Still not a color," Ren sighed heavily.

"ORRNJ is still an option," Olivia could not resist.

"It doesn't matter what we're called," Jaune stepped up to stop the quarrel. "As long as we're together."

"You kids sure you don't want to stick around?" The aging faunus leaned against the wall. "You've been real good to this town."

"Sorry," Ruby apologized. "But we have another mission."

"Make it to Haven, no matter what!" Nora could not resist ensuring her voice was heard.

"We've heard the next village over has a working airship."

"Hmmmm, no way to know for sure," he warned the teens as they set off for the road. "Signals were bad enough out here before the tower went down. We haven't heard from Shion village in quiiiiiiite a while."

 **Docks…**

"Excellent work and good luck," a familiar Atlesian general concluded as his voice died out over the scroll. The young woman clicked it off and slid the device into her satchel beside an obscured white and blue uniform. Esmerelda Moto sighed as she stepped onto the ocean liner soon to set sail from the coast of Sanus, her curly auburn hair catching a strong gust of wind and whipped across her face.

 _I finally get to come back…only to leave again,_ she mused, enjoying the feeling of the breeze while brushing the hair from her eyes. _This will be an awkward reunion._

The weather was infinitely preferable to the climate in Atlas, though she may only have thought that way from being accustomed to such warmth. It had been years since she was on the sea…her nose flared at a brief memory of the salty air associated with it.

It was quite a large ship bound for the island of Menagerie, such armed vessels and airships were the only ones with a chance of getting past the Grimm explosion worldwide. Even then, fewer and fewer were getting through.

"Welcome aboard young lady!" We'll be setting sail soon; an older gentleman with a full yet groomed white beard greeted her. Based on his uniform he was undoubtedly the ship's captain. "Calm seas for the most part, the trip should be smooth all the way.

"Thank you captain," Esmerelda bowed slightly in greeting. "That is good to hear."

She knew the captain truly had no idea how their voyage would go, but he was being smart. With Grimm being attracted to the negative emotions of humans and faunus, he was no doubt greeting passengers himself with such a statement to put them at ease. After all, the captain should be the most trusted and knowledgeable person on the ship.

 _With any luck…he'll turn out to be right._

Esmerelda looked down at her new attire, feeling a bit out of her element. She wore a sleeveless sky-blue crop top with black straps that created an x-shaped pattern across her chest and grey trousers. With the shortness of the shirt leaving her midriff bare it was a tad more revealing than she was used to, but remaining inconspicuous was part of her trip and it was common wear on Menagerie. She had also opted for fingerless black gloves that would cushion blows in the event of a melee fight.

She had her weapon reduced to its scimitar-form hanging off her hip fastened securely to a black belt. As a former student of Beacon she was permitted to carry it in case of sudden Grimm attack. Not wanting to delay, she made below deck to locate her cabin towards the bow of the ship.

Unfortunately, it was her haste that prevented the member of Team HERO from noticing a familiar black-ribboned faunus boarding the ship not far behind her, also oblivious to her presence. And even further behind, another passenger followed obscured by a great black cloak who, despite looking incredibly conspicuous, was not noticed by the crew or fellow passengers on the long trip to Menagerie…

 **Team RNJRR…ORRNJ…JNRRR…our heroes continue on their path to Haven, unaware of the hunters tracking their movements. Scattered across Remnant, will the friends and comrades be able to stand against their individual demons both internal and external? Only time will tell, as always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	40. Out the Door and Down the Road

**TwilightHexe: That is a very good comparison lol, Cinder would not settle for any less. :D**

 **Guest: I am sorry you feel that way, it was never my intention for the new characters to alter canon teams, rather to introduce a new one who in turn cause the changes.**

 **And with that...onto the show! As always this chapter is available here and in the separate story "Haven Lost" Our scattered heroes follow the course laid before them...**

Weiss Schnee walked the halls of the place she had called home before her time studying at Beacon. Her father had summoned her presence in his study; otherwise she would have been in her room as she had spent much of her time since returning. Being outside of it just reminded her of what she had nearly forgotten while away. The hallways were enormous, the epitome of extravagance with paintings and statues of all shapes and sizes. She could not help but eye the enormous suits of armor flanking the grand staircase like a pair of watchful sentries. While it would draw the awe and majesty of anyone who saw it, Weiss could think of only one thing as she passed it all by.

 _It's so empty._

Hundreds could have comfortably packed the halls and rooms of the Schnee manor and often did at parties, gatherings and other such events. Most of the time however, only her immediate family and their servants could be found within. The sense of loneliness had been exacerbated when she was younger by Winter's departure to join the Atlas military…and her mother had never been around that often. Things were so lively at Beacon, with the hustle and bustle of school life she'd scarcely gone a few minutes without running into someone be it Blake, Yang or even R…

"Good afternoon sister," a voice snapped Weiss from her contemplation only then realizing someone was standing in her path. "A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change."

Her younger brother Whitley bowed cordially before her, a smile on his face that, to those who knew him, was eerily out of place. His hair was cut short, styled and slicked back, the blue eyes they shared locked on one another.

"Hello Whitley," Weiss replied as was only polite. "You're in a cheery mood today."

"Klein made crepes for breakfast," he shrugged his shoulders as if to imply there was no other state possible under those circumstances.

"What do you want?" Weiss sighed as she placed a hand on her hip and glanced away. There was no chance he was just making idle conversation.

"I heard father shouting with someone in his study earlier," the young man immediately started without even an attempt to refute her implication.

"Mother?" It wouldn't surprise her.

"No, she's already drinking in the garden."

 _Of course she is._

"There were two of them; pretty sure one of them was a man. I just wanted to warn you after hearing he wanted to speak with you."

"I'll…be fine," Weiss asserted, though gripped her arm defensively. The smile and sense of concern emanating from Whitley just didn't feel right.

"I know you will, you are strong…like Winter!"

"You…never liked Winter," Weiss felt the need to point out based on the absurdity of his statement compared to the little brother she knew.

"True, but you can't deny her resolve."

"You seem different," Weiss could no longer hide her confusion at the apparent change. She crossed her arms and stared down at him suspiciously.

"And you've been gone," he retorted without losing his smile or out of character cheeriness. "I'll have you know I didn't stop growing while you were away at Beacon."

Weiss honestly had no idea how to react.

"Anyway," Whitley smiled as he spun on his heels to continue down the hall. "Good luck with father."

"Thank you," Weiss allowed as much of a true smile to shine through as she had since arriving home other than when Klein was around. If Whitley could improve himself while she was away, anything was possible. Despite the sound of muffled arguments coming from her father's study, Weiss tentatively approached with hope that things could get better.

 **Mistral Farm…**

Oscar dug through the chicken coop; he saw the smudged tracks but had to know what happened. Under the guise of further work, he had snuck away from his aunt to investigate. Flashlight in hand, he was searching for how it got out.

"Front door locked, windows secured," he muttered to himself. "No structural damage and no others made a ruckus in the night but…"

With every other option scratched out, the young farmhand checked the straw directly beneath the missing hen's alcove. A confident smile accompanied a muffled shout of victory. Beneath the alcove was a small hole surely big enough for someone…or something to reach inside and have plucked the chicken while she slept. He'd have to get that repaired before nightfall lest it happen a second time.

 _Maybe add a little surprise for our chicken thief;_ he chuckled as he got to work. If he could catch whatever was taking livestock, his aunt would be sure to start treating him like the fourteen year old he was rather than a child. _It won't take long, will just need tools from the barn, maybe a few of aunties old paints…then I can…_

"GAAAAHHHH!"

Oscar dropped to the floor, heart pounding as he jumped back to his feet, hesitantly looking back around the corner. He had been making his way to the barn when he passed an old mirror hanging on the wall. He thought he'd seen something that sent a chill through him.

He looked at his reflection, turning his head up, down and side to side in an attempt to verify he most certainly didn't see what he thought he had. After a few tense moments he continued his path towards the barn to retrieve the supplies. For a moment, just a single moment, he could have sworn his hair had turned completely grey. Oscar laughed at the thought; surely it must have been a trick of the light…that mirror was absolutely filthy after all.

 **Patch…**

Roland made his way up the stairs, food tray in hand, only a few minutes to 7:00 to go. Tai was preparing the rest of breakfast below and as usual Yang was a no show. For a change, little Zwei had decided to accompany him and stuck close behind.

 _Another day, another lien,_ the young huntsman mused as he reached her door, raising his hand in preparation to knock.

"Son of a…!" He heard her shout within before he could take action, a loud crash occurring from within.

"Yang!" Roland cried out, throwing open the door without a second thought. "Are you alrig…?"

The room was a disheveled mess, the bed was unmade and various hairspray bottles were scattered all over the room. The loud noise seemed to have been a large brush colliding with the full-length mirror in the corner, somehow failing to break it.

And then he saw her.

Yang was still arrayed in her pajamas, a sleeveless orange top with her emblem stitched into the front and black shorts showing off most of her legs. She hadn't gotten dressed for the day yet. A look of pure anger and frustration was building on her face as if she was on the verge of screaming or crying. The look was so gut-wrenching he almost didn't notice the source of her animosity.

Her cascading golden locks, her pride and joy that meant certain doom for anyone who dared to draw near were in the worst state of bedhead he had ever seen. They were tousled almost beyond recognition, spiky in some areas while flat on others and frizzy all over. From the look of the warzone he had walked into she had been trying to work it into the previous style she was accustomed to wearing…with only a single arm at her disposal she had clearly failed.

"What are you doing in here?" Yang demanded, panting heavily as if she'd been yelling at someone until he walked in. "I told you to stay out!"

"I…I heard the shout, I thought you might…" only then did he notice he was still holding the breakfast tray and quickly laid it on the nearby table. "Is everything al…"

"No…no it's NOT alright!" Yang balled up her fist in frustration. "It was so…easy before, and now I can't even…"

Roland understood or at least tried to; he couldn't imagine trying to care for such hair as hers with only a single arm. Not alone at least.

"I should just cut the whole thing off."

Roland paled, his first reaction of making her laugh taking precedence over anything else in his mind.

"Who are you…and what have you done with Yang Xiao Long?"

"I'm…not being seen like this," Yang reached for an enormous pair of scissors nearby, bringing them up to her frizzled golden locks.

Roland thought fast, quickly locating a second set of scissors he grabbed a tuft of his own hair, holding them up to his shorter black strands. Yang saw his action and hesitated, her eyes narrowing as she tried to gauge his intent.

"Whatever you do to those follicles…I'll do to my own. Don't think I won't! I'm a man on the edge!"

Yang actually allowed a soft chuckle to escape though it was restrained and quiet.

"It would be so much easier than to look like this every morning," she sounded so distant, completely different from the girl he had met last year.

"Since when have you ever taken the easy way out," Roland countered. "I'd rather see you in the mornings Yang, hair or no hair…but you were so proud of it. How many did you threaten with death for risking it? I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"I…" Yang lowered the scissors at last, allowing him to do the same. "I just can't. I've been trying every…single…morning. I can't keep up."

"Maybe I could offer my services?" Roland finally got to the heart of the matter.

"You...style hair?" Yang asked slowly, a bit of her old self rising to the surface as she looked over the shorter cut Roland always sported, clearly disbelieving of his ludicrous statement.

"Two sisters remember?" He smirked back. "Granted you have more hair than they have…anything, but do you have any idea how many times I had to help them braid each other? They were competitive about EVERYTHING and needed an unbiased participant."

Yang absentmindedly gripped her long hair as if contemplating his words.

 _She wouldn't let her own father near her hair._ Roland thought to himself as the silence grew between them. _But maybe if she remembers just how important it is, she'll take a step back and realize she wouldn't want it gone. Once she turns me down maybe I can…_

"Okay."

That single word froze Roland's mind, his look grew flat as his eyes bulged open. He couldn't comprehend what she had just said.

"Beg pardon?"

"You get one chance," her reply sounded uncertain. Despite that, she took a seat on the bed, fluffing her hair so he could get a better look.

Roland was screaming in his head, he never imagined in a thousand years she would have actually accepted his offer, genuine though it was. Overjoyed at her sitting down calmly, Zwei hopped up onto Yang's lap, curling into a ball before settling down to await the pets he knew would follow.

Roland recovered the comb along with scrunchies, hair pins, a bottle of hair spray and whatever else he thought may be needed. In his mind he was going to war.

 _One chance, don't blow it Rolly. You are working on a priceless treasure here._

Once positioned behind Yang, the young huntsman started by placing the hair pins in his mouth to free up his hands. Carefully to avoid the knots, he started to pull Yang's hair together. Due to the time gone without professional tending, it was rough to the touch yet still he felt like he was working with a glass flower, fearful the slightest mistake could shatter it.

Roland did not see Yang's face as he started the procedure, the hint of a blush spreading across her cheeks as she felt his hands intertwine with her golden mane. Yang could not have been more embarrassed yet at the same time thankful that she had someone who could make this moment possible.

 _Alright,_ Roland finally settled on a general plan for handling what lay before him. His experience with his sisters ill-preparing for such an endeavor. _Where to begin?_

 **Mistral Countryside…**

Ruby shot up in her sleeping back, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. Glancing around their makeshift campsite she realized the others appeared to be sleeping, all except…

"Bad dreams too?" Olivia asked. She was sitting up against a tree polishing Jackal.

"Just…probably too many cookies last night," the young huntress chuckled awkwardly.

"I told you we needed real food," Olivia reciprocated her smile as she shook her head. "Sugary snacks and long treks of walking usually don't mix well."

"Hehe, I'll just try to get some more sleep," she rolled over. However, as Olivia was unable to see, her eyes never closed, she dared not lest she see the face that popped into view every time she stared down to scope of Crescent Rose…

 **Atlas…**

"I'm not talking about the good of the company; I'm talking about the good of Atlas! Our entire Kingdom!"

"That is a load of garbage and you know it."

"I beg your pardon?"

Weiss could hear the shouts well before approaching the door to her father's office. He and General Ironwood were still inside arguing over his "unnecessary paranoia" as her father had put it. Not wanting to interrupt, the young heiress slowly pushed the door open.

"Salutations Ms. Schnee! I am afraid your father and the General are still engaged in their prior appointment. Though I am certain they will be through soon based on their current path of interactions."

"Penny?" Weiss gasped as the familiar perky orange-haired girl revealed herself standing guard at the door. The last time she'd seen her was as a decapitated head amidst the chaotic evacuation. "What are you doing here?"

She'd been made a new body since the fall. It was clearly a more advanced design since the first; there was no way to tell from a quick glance that she was anything more than a young girl. It appeared they'd gone for a slightly maturer appearance almost as if she'd aged a year or two since Beacon. She was currently wearing an Atlesian uniform though with no rank attached. No doubt the topic of whether she should be considered a soldier or a weapon was still ongoing.

The world had seen the footage of the battle, everyone knew what she was. Many were up in arms over Atlas "going too far," or "playing gods," with her creation, she had seen the Atlas news feeds even contained to her kingdom as they were. The general had defended her every step of the way, assuring the masses that while born from their latest experiments into aura…she was far from being solely a weapon. Few of the more vocal proponents seemed to believe his words.

"General Ironwood has made me his personal attaché," she announced proudly. Despite the backlash of her reveal which she was fully aware of, it had failed to break her indomitable cheer.

"Your dust embargo has already cost me millions!" Jacques Schnee continued to argue behind her. "Do you have any idea how many competitors I've had to reconcile with just to turn a profit?"

"So this IS about you?" Ironwood countered.

"It is…good to see you again" Weiss stepped forward, embracing Penny as the girl looked on confused. Nevertheless, she eventually reciprocated the gesture after several seconds.

"Ms. Schnee," General Ironwood only then noticed her presence. "My apologies, I should have been gone by now."

"Yes dear," her father interrupted. "And do be careful around that…thing," he motioned towards Penny.

"We're friends," she asserted though her argument was timid and quiet. Penny's smile beamed brighter all the same at those words.

"We'll continue this…later," Ironwood's glare at her father was positively terrifying at the jab towards Penny's humanity. Between his look and his more grizzled appearance due to the stress since Beacon's fall, he did not look like someone it was wise to upset.

"I-indeed," Jacques looked hesitant to test his patience. "Klein will show you out."

"Don't worry, we know the way," he rebuked him as he made for the door. "Until next time Jacques."

Weiss stepped aside politely to allow him a clear path to the door. Penny did the same then bowed in an identical fashion. "I do hope we can work together again Ms. Schnee," she smiled before following the general out.

"Did you forget your manners while you were away?" The head of the Schnee family muttered while Weiss still faced the door. He missed the scowl that warped her features for a moment yet were gone by the time she turned around.

"No father, I'm sorry for not knocking." She followed him as he meandered over to his desk, plopping down in the cushioned seat on the other side.

"Can you believe there are still people that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon? To Vale?"

"Well, they weren't there."

It's a wonder Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank." Jacques continued to rant; it was hard to get him to stop once started. "I suppose the council trusts him, for better or worse."

"I…trust him," Weiss felt the need to add. "He and Penny, they mean well."

Jacques Schnee spun in his chair, leaning on the table as if to express how exhausted he was at the situation.

"Thanks to him, Atlas is forbidden from exporting dust to other kingdoms. A 'precautionary measure' as he puts it, until we are certain no one is going to declare war. How anyone could possibly find that to be sound logic is beyond me."

 _He just wants to make sure_

"Which is why the Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks."

Weiss finally allowed some emotion to bleed through her cold demeanor as she opened her eyes wider, shocked at what she'd heard her father say.

"We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side," he continued. "That we are ALL victims of the fall of Beacon."

"That's…wonderful news!" Weiss smiled. She couldn't believe it, first Whitley showing some kindness and concern for once in his life and now her father was actually trying to help after the fall of Beacon? It was too good to…

"I know," he adjusted his suit as he internally patted himself on the back. "And I think it would make a lot of people happy if YOU performed at the event."

"Ex…cuse me?"

"Many forget that you were there. My own daughter, a Schnee, on the grounds defending another kingdom. We need to remind them and we need to show them that the Schnee family is just as strong as ever!"

 _He is making this all about him…_

"Are you asking me if I'd like to sing, or telling me?" She could barely look her father in the eye.

Jacques leaned forward, his own gaze never wavering. "I think it would make a lot of people happy." Weiss sighed heavily, his reply was all she needed to hear to know the answer to her question. She hadn't sang since the Vytal Festival with Flynt.

"I'll start practicing…"

"That's my girl, and do adjust that lopsided ponytail of yours before the concert…it looks ridiculous."

 **Outside…**

Weiss slowly closed the door with a click, proper etiquette demanded to make as little noise as possible…just like her father wanted for her most days. The smile she had at the idea of her father and brother changing had already faded to be replaced with her solemn cold she had gotten used to wearing.

"Hot coffee, Ms. Schnee? I always find he keeps his study dreadfully cold."

The head butler stood before her, tray of hot coffee already in hand. He was on the shorter side, a tad stout and balding with the most adorable mustache that never failed to raise Weiss' spirits.

"Thank you Klein," she accepted the cup and took a quick sip. Despite the pick-me up, she just couldn't keep the momentum, her smirk faded away as she considered all that had happened.

Klein seemed to notice, after a moment of awkward silence he cleared his throat.

"Do you know what I think?" Covering his face with the tray, he lowered it dramatically. "I think it's to balance out all of his hot air!" He mocked with laughter, his eyes were now a shade of red versus the dark amber they had been a moment ago.

"Klein!" Weiss gasped with a whisper, glancing back at the study door to ensure her father hadn't heard, only risking a giggle of her own upon realizing he hadn't.

"Oh…oh no…." Klein warned her as he reared back his head and letting out a sudden sneeze and then another. After the first his eye cycled to a sky blue and with the second it became a bright yellow.

"Ah," he sighed, his demeanor suddenly much softer and gentler. "There's my little snowflake. That Penny friend of yours was positively a delight; I don't care what your father says about her. Would you like me to invite her over for coffee sometime?"

"I don't think father would…"

"Oh pish posh," the cheerful persona of her butler smiled. "So many people from your father's various partners will be staying in the mansion the next few weeks. "I am sure one friend or two snuck in won't be noticed."

The idea of having another familiar face around made Weiss feel at ease. There was only one person who had made life in the manor bearable after Winter left…

"Thank you Klein…for everything."

 **Mistral Countryside…**

"Oh we're lost!" Ruby lamented as she held out the map, twisting it this way and that as if it would make more sense at a different angle.

"Calm down Ruby," Olivia held back her laughter as Nora and Ren attempted to do the same behind her. "We are on the main road, not even Roland has a sense of direction so bad to get lost following that."

"Besides, Shion isn't far from here!" Jaune added. My family used to visit all the time."

"Oh yea," Ruby smiled at the memory. "Don't you have like four sisters?"

"Seven," Olivia corrected.

"That really does explains a lot," Nora looked away teasingly.

"Hey…what is that supposed to...?"

"So what did you guys do there?" Ruby called back from the front, drawing him to the map.

"Oh all sorts of stuff! Over here is a great hiking trail," he started pointing at the map. "And over here…"

"He loves telling this part," Nora whispered to Olivia as Jaune became absorbed in the map, pointing out every little location he could think of. "He even wanted to shadow the village sheriff for our first mission at Beacon…you know before we got the day off for that whole Merlot thing."

Olivia kept the smile, but couldn't help remembering back to the mission to seek out Dr. Merlot's island. She had spent much of the time in Forever Fall fighting alongside…

 ** _Neo? Ray? Make up your mind._**

 _Shut up_

"My sisters always gave me pigtails," Jaune continued his familiar anecdote. "I consider myself more of a warrior's wolftail personally."

"But…that's just a ponytail," Ruby pointed out hesitantly.

"I could give you a few pointers," Olivia snapped back to reality as she whipped her own ponytail to the side for emphasis. "Guys…" she gasped as she looked ahead . Ruby and Jaune were so entranced in the map they hadn't noticed the sight before them, or the smoke blocking out the blue skies. Ren and Nora were the next to drop their jaws in horror.

The village of Shion was still far in the distance, but they could see perfectly. Olivia pulled out her rifle, staring down the sights. The village looked dead; buildings were damaged or destroyed including the guard tower which had been reduced to smoldering rubble. A black pillar of smoke rose into the air far beyond, they could not see any sign of movement.

"Clear," Olivia alerted them, signaling the team to rush forward until they were finally amid the cobbled streets.

"Start looking," Jaune flipped over to his role as leader almost immediately. "There could be survivors!"

Nodding in understanding, the team scattered. As Ruby, Ren and Jaune went up main street, Olivia and Nora went through what had once been the market square. All the doors had been smashed open, bodies littered the streets and many of the vehicles and stalls they could see were stripped bare.

 ** _Bandits no doubt, they took everything not nailed down. Probably used the CCT Tower's destruction as a chance to do a few raids when they couldn't call for help. Based on the claw marks and generally messiness…the Grimm were not far behind._**

 _I hate it when you're right._

 ** _When WE'RE right._**

Frustration welled in Olivia as she and Nora checked everyone they could, none stirred. From the look of things it had happened days before, likely before they had even bested the Geist.

"The airship dock would be ahead, maybe it…"

Nora didn't finish her sentence as it soon became clear that the very ship they sought was the source of the billowing smoke blotting out the sun. From the look of things it had been shot right out of the sky trying to take off, having crashed back into and destroying the humble village dock.

"That's impossible," Nora overlooked the destruction. Olivia understood her confusion, it appeared that the source of the damage was scorched and burned through just as the guard tower had been. It looked as if it had been electrocuted…but was far larger than any standard lightning dust could have done.

 _It almost looks like it was…_

 ** _Struck by lightning, very astute boss. I'm getting all tingly just thinking of what these bandits had with them to do THAT._**

"What kind of weapon did this?" She finally muttered, Nora could only shrug.

"Jaune," Olivia pulled out her scroll and opened a short-ranged channel. "No luck on finding survivors so far, airship is a no go…looks like we are going to Haven on foot. Any luck on your end?"

"We," his voice sounded solemn and distant. "We found the village huntsman…but he didn't make it. Let's make sure there's no one else we can help. There has to be…someone who made it…"

"Roger that, over and out. Let's keep moving Nora…Nora?"

The perky pink Valkyrie was staring at the ground, unknown to her Ren was doing the exact same thing on the opposite side of the town. Before her imbedded deep in the ground was an immense hoof print. The shape was relatively normal, however the size was many times even the largest horse on the planet. She did not alert Olivia, merely looked on with a look of apprehension in the full knowledge that she had seen that shape before.

 **Salem's Domain…**

"Okay," Emerald continued as she had been the last several hours. "You want to bend your index finger like this…and your pinkie like that. Just a bit more…perfect."

Cinder was sitting on the edge of her bed following Emerald's instructions while Mercury stood watch out front to warn of anyone incoming. She was walking her through the hand gestures she would need to know. The Fall Maiden never thought she would require such a skill, however until her vocal cords healed it was unavoidable. She had learned the basics and made use of them, but made sure Emerald taught her the advanced signs.

"Now, if you want to express appreciation for a service completed, just do this…"

Cinder followed along, memorizing every contour and intricate movement to ensure she mastered it perfectly. She would not settle for less.

"Cinder," Emerald started sheepishly. "I wanted to let you know something."

Salem's pupil turned towards her disciple, eye narrowing as she could sense the hesitation in her voice.

"While…you were asleep, I broke a promise. And I think you should know about it."

 **Months Earlier…**

"Okay, you may enter."

Horatio stepped into the room at the approval of the green-haired fighter; she had completed changing Cinder's bandages and massaging her muscles during her days of inactivity. Cinder was still asleep on the bed atop the covers, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. She was tossing somewhat as if dreaming.

"Any better?" He asked as he had every morning for the past week.

"Same," Emerald sighed, sitting across from him at the desk they had moved away from the wall. She had become accustomed to Horatio's presence over the last several days and seemed to now trust he had no nefarious intentions. "The last meal was better."

"And I didn't set the kitchen on fire," he attempted to soften the tone of the room with humor. Emerald never cracked a smile; he couldn't very well say he was in a smiling mood himself.

They had seen no sign of their foreboding benefactor since the first night; she appeared content to wait out Cinder's recovery. The sleeping girl was restless, eyes clenching, was it in pain, anger or something else? Horatio felt so helpless…his semblance good for little more than combat and manual labor.

 _Some Guardian I am being…_

Reaching into his vest he revealed the one thing he had gotten out of Beacon before the fall, the novel provided to him by Tukson so long ago.

"And while most religious groups will have you believe otherwise," he started reading at the beginning. "The creation of Remnant is attributed in the most ancient texts to not one but two gods working with and in spite of one another."

Emerald raised an eyebrow as she pulled out her deck of cards. "What are you doing?"

"I thought it might help if she heard us, you know in case she still can. I wish I had different material but this is all I got."

Emerald nodded, motioning towards him so she could take a look at it. Right before he could hand it off Cinder let out a loud gasp, causing him to jump and allowing the book to fall to the floor. Horatio rushed to the bedside to ensure nothing was out of the ordinary; her remaining eye was fluttering beneath the lid rapidly.

"Down boy, she does that every so often, not much we can do about it."

"Can't you? I mean…doesn't your semblance let you make others see whatever you want?"

Emerald paused as she studied his question. "What's your point?"

"Well, can't you make her…see something soothing? Something that could calm her down?"

Emerald pointed her cards at Cinder's sleeping form. "Does it look like she's seeing anything right now?" The frustration in her voice cut through him.

"Come on Emerald, you're more clever than that and you know it. If what we see is processed by our brains then there is a chance she could still see what you show her. Where's the harm in trying?"

Emerald eyed him threateningly; she didn't like it when he took such a tone. "I swore to her after we met…I'd never attempt my semblance on her…"

Horatio looked at her exasperated; he understood why it would mean so much, but there was a difference between the letter and spirit of the law. "You think she wouldn't want you to use it to ease her pain? If that's your worry just blame me and tell her I forced you to do it!"

Emerald just glared at him as if to say "I'd like to see you try." If only to shut him up she turned towards the bed, laying a tentative hand onto Cinder's head, massaging her temple with the other. Horatio could only watch as she focused with no way to determine if she was actually doing anything. After several seconds Cinder arched her back, Horatio feared the worst until she eased back onto the bed, her breath now coming slow and steady. Her eyes were fluttering, but not with the manic fury they had previously. Emerald leaned back, surveying her work and ensuring nothing had been made worse.

"It worked!" Horatio leaned over and wrapped her in a tight bear hug only realizing too late how inappropriate it seemed. "I mean…good work," he settled on an uneasy handshake, more surprised than anything that Emerald did not attempt to break it off first. "What did you show her?"

"Her ripping your head off," she snapped. The young man threw his arms up in surrender as he leaned back, continuing to read passages from his little book. Emerald started playing solitaire, thankful she had recalled so many details of the night she and Mercury had watched a naïve artist draw a woman he had just met by the sea.

 **Present…**

"Would you have actually believed me if I said he forced me to do it?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Yea, I didn't think you would. I can't really picture loverb…Ember ever being so forceful. I don't know what it is about him, when he asked…it just seemed to make perfect sense. He had no ulterior motive in the slightest."

Cinder laid a hand on Emerald's shoulder, she instinctively shirked back still remember when she'd been struck for speaking out of term though it had been a long time since that day. The hand was gentle, Cinder shook her head…letting her know there was no animosity for her action. She knew full well what he was like, and how hard it was

"Thank you," Emerald laid her hand atop Cinder's and squeezing.

A knock at the door alerted them that someone was approaching. Emerald quickly stepped back to a more respectable distance, standing at attention as if she were also there to protect Cinder as her disciples.

"She is," Mercury cleared his throat, "here to see you."

Cinder nodded, granting him approval to let the visitor inside.

The ever unsettling presence of the jellyfish-like seer Grimm filled the room as it floated inside, positioning itself in front of the young woman while completely ignoring Emerald nearby. Even Mercury and Emerald both tensed up at its passing. In an instant, an image of Salem appeared within its depths staring into her pupil.

"Cinder, I would like to have a word with you at once without delay."

 **Patch…**

Tai leaned forward, his own breakfast was getting cold as he and Pyrrha waited for Roland to return. Normally, the kid would drop off Yang's food and be right back down but this time he was nowhere in sight. He thought he'd heard something upstairs but couldn't be sure if he was just hearing things. That was either a possible good sigh or a really bad one.

"How is your leg feeling Pyrrha?" He asked the solemn Spartan if only to make conversation. "I'll be heading out soon for supplies, do you need anything?"

"No sir, it is...better," Pyrrha replied slowly. "Though if possible I would like to use your workshop."

"May I ask why?"

"I…" She hesitated. "I want to make something, to keep busy and prepare for when I can help again."

Tai nodded, understanding the frustration of not being at the frontlines more than most.

"Be my guest, though I am afraid I haven't used it in a while, might have trouble finding materials to…"

He heard footsteps making their way down, _Roland must be done._

"Roland, I hope you like it cold because..." He immediately froze as he stood from the table, his fork dropping to the floor along with his jaw.

The huntsman of Team HERO was coming downstairs and alongside him was Yang. She had her orange sleeveless top on with baggy grey pants. She was walking hesitantly but the young man stayed with her the whole way down, food tray in hand still covered with uneaten food. What stood out most of all was her hair; the previously tangled and disheveled locks were now bunched together into a single large, albeit somewhat messy ponytail held by a purple scrunchie. Roland had done what he could to give it volume to stay together until a more permanent solution could be tested. It wasn't close to her immaculate hair from before, but it was a start.

"Sorry I'm late dad," Yang smiled flatly as they reached the table and holding out the tray. "Breakfast got a little cold."

"I-I'll have it warmed up in a jiffy!" Tai proclaimed as he collected the uneaten food from every plate on the table as well as hers. He quickly started loading them into the oven and started pre-heating as Yang took a seat beside Pyrrha. "How…is your day going?" He eyed Roland suspiciously, amazed how such a turn-around occurred.

"That is…a long story," Yang smiled. "But breakfast as a family again sounds…nice."

 **Boat to Menagerie…**

Esmerelda rolled over on her bed, it was comfortable but she could not relax. They had been at sea for several days and she had scarcely left her room except to get food. It was obvious, she was getting restless.

 _I'm sure I can spend a few hours each day on deck and still keep a low profile,_ she rationalized. The General would surely not mind. Grabbing her weapon shrunk down to its scimitar form she made her way above deck.

It was breathtaking, the sun, the view of blue in all directions as far as she could see.

 _The boat I'd taken to Vale was much smaller, I wonder if it even still sails._

Esmerelda had absolutely no sea legs when she was so little at the time, remembering how sick she'd gotten and been unable to even look out a window. She'd only made it to the mainland by pretending she was in an especially unsteady house amid a storm.

 _She was with me all the way to the academy…I wonder how she's been doing back home. Can't imagine she'd be very pleased with my career choices._

As the young huntress gazed out across the sea, yet could not help but notice a shape walk past. She had gone to the highest point on the vessel and had quite the view…but the newcomer appeared to be focused on the lower deck.

They were dressed in a brown robe completely covering their features, how they hadn't been asked to change clothes by the staff was anybody's guess. She would have though having someone lurking on the ship in something so baggy in the humid air would raise a few flags. As subtly as she could, Esmerelda glanced down towards the deck he was staring to intently.

He was watching a young faunus woman with cat ears, she was wearing tight black pants leading up to a long-sleeve white coat. At the angle she was at, Esmerelda could not make out her face. She had some sort of black weapon on her back; however with her long curly black hair covering it, she couldn't make out any details.

"She a friend of yours?" She asked after creeping up behind them unnoticed.

As expected, the stranger spun in surprise; clearly he'd been up to something.

"Well…I suppose she was…is I mean. We go way back and we…Ezzy?"

 _Ezzy?_

Esmerelda stepped forward, grabbing the brown hood and yanking hard, revealing short spiked blonde hair. She also succeeded in opening the robe itself, giving her an ample view of an open white shirt revealing a stunning set of abs.

 _Good lord you could grate cheese off those!_ She could not help but think and blush red each time she saw them.

"SUN? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" The monkey-faunus and leader of Team SSSN pushed back, pulling the hood back over his head. "What are you doing onboard?"

"Nono, my question first," Esmerelda asserted. "I'm not the one going full stalker on some girl here."

"Some girl? Ezzy, that's…"

He did not get a chance to finish as a strong wave suddenly buffeted the ship, knocking him into her. They gripped each other for support until the rocking stopped, only then noticing what an awkward position they were in and letting go.

The uncomfortable moment had no time to gain momentum as the two suddenly realized how overcast it had suddenly become. Looking upward simultaneously they discovered it was not due to clouds…but the shadow of an immense serpent-like Grimm towering over them, burning eyes boring into the ship as it looked over everyone onboard with a ravenous need to destroy everything.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" They both shouted in perfect harmony.

 **Friends divided walk their own path on a collision course with conflict and strife. As with the first chapter, an art piece depicting Roland and Yang in Patch was completed by AzaryaS entitled "A Sword and Her Shield" on DeviantArt. Once again she could not have captured the scene better. As always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	41. Monsters in all Forms

**Amelia: Most certainly! I am so glad you've been enjoying this story since the beginning. :D**

 **Updating the complete story with the latest chapter of Volume 4: Haven Lost. I hope everyone both old and new to this story enjoy the latest installment. :D Going forward with Volume 4 I will be updating both.**

 **And with that…onto the show!**

Yang and Pyrrha were lounging on the couch in the living room of her home in Patch during a break between their daily activities. Roland was upstairs dusting while Tai had gone out for news and supplies. They were currently flipping nonchalantly through the various channels still available with the CCT Tower crash, the options were quite limited. They could only seem to find news broadcasts going over the status of the kingdom since the attack.

"And Vale continues to ban all air traffic that does not have a direct correlation with evacuations of Grimm-infested…

Yang clicked the remote.

"Rumors continue to circulate on who was behind the attack on the Vytal Festival. While no one is certain, officials have confirmed that high ranking White Fang member Adam Taurus was…"

*Click*

Pyrrha had claimed the remote, turning off the television upon noticing Yang's eyes widening at mention of the man responsible for maiming her in the fight.

"Yang…" The huntress started with concerned eyes. "If there is anything you want to talk about…"

"There isn't okay," she brushed her off, looking away towards the stairs. "I'm doing okay, you don't have to worry."

"How can you be okay? You lost a piece of yourself; it won't help anyone to just bottle it up. We are here for you, to talk."

The blonde brawler glanced over, sighing heavily after seeing Pyrrha's own leg. There had been no real improvement despite everything. If there was anyone who understood, it was her.

"I have to get used to this," she asserted. "It beats the alternative."

"Alternative?" Pyrrha did not understand.

"Roland…offered to restore my arm," she finally admitted, causing the Mistral champion's eyes to go wide in amazement.

"He can do that?"

Yang nodded weakly. "His semblance is incredible apparently…but if he does, it'll take his arm in return."

Pyrrha's mouth dropped open but no sound came out, she had no idea how to respond to that.

"He offered, that selfless idiot BEGGED me to take his arm without the slightest hesitation, he was…" She sniffled back her welled up tears. "If I don't get used to this, then I might have a weak moment, I NEVER want to make him think that is ever an option. What is with the two of us and liking guys who don't think enough about their own safety?"

Pyrrha allowed a brief smile to flutter across her lips, remembering Jaune's words at his departure.

"Must be a weakness," she let out a single quick laugh.

The soft patter of socks on wood behind them caused the two to quiet down; realizing Roland must be done with his chores upstairs.

"I swear dust accumulates out in the countryside WAY more than the city," they heard him remark, coughing through his words almost for emphasis.

"That's nature for you, dirt everywh…" Yang froze as she spotted the member of Team HERO almost at the bottom of the steps. Her eyes watered again, only this time in restrained laughter.

Roland was wearing a baggy pair of yellow cargo shorts a few sizes too big, a familiar-looking brown vest over a beige dress shirt. Pyrrha looked confused until realizing her source of amusement. In that moment, Roland was dressed nearly head to toe in her father Tai's clothes.

"Wh-what happened?" She stuttered to withhold her guffaws. "D-did Vale start a cloning program I was unaware of?"

Roland raised an eyebrow quizzically at first before realizing where she was staring. His expression dropped into mild embarrassment as he fluffed the vest outward.

"I didn't bring any change of clothes with me!" He rationalized. "I had to ransack a wardrobe, it was either his or yours!"

Yang leaned back, finally releasing her raucous laughter at his defensive statement. Despite his embarrassment, Roland could not have been more pleased to see her so happy even at his expense. Pyrrha realized the shift back to her previous sense of humor and just started giggling, joining her in the merriment.

"Y-you don't have the stomach to pull mine off," she continued to attempt in vain to restrain her laughter. "And I think I'd have to burn them if you tried on my shorts…"

She was laughing so hard; Yang swept her legs sideways, accidentally clipping a nearby lamp. The large vase-like body fell to the ground and shattered into a hundred pieces with a loud crash.

Roland's previous joy crumbled as he saw Yang start to shake, her pupils dilated as before at the sound. In a flash, she scurried back against the couch, her breathing became erratic as she started glancing left and right as if looking for a way out.

"Yang…YANG!" Pyrrha called out, gripping her shoulders securely. "It's okay, we're here, we're both here…"

Yang locked her gaze onto Pyrrha's refusing to look anywhere else. Roland could not have been completely certain, but she seemed to grow more apprehensive when she had briefly glanced at him. Her shakes were only slowly receding.

"Roland," Pyrrha called out, noticing her refusal to look at him. "Perhaps you could prepare lunch, it is getting quite late. I will clean up the mess and sit with her."

"S-sure," he replied, trying to not show how much it hurt that she couldn't even bear to look at him. He headed to the kitchen; Pyrrha knew full well he could barely work a microwave, that had always been his mother's domain. Perhaps he could find some frozen dinners to warm up…

 _She was doing so well, was it the crash of the lamp that set off the attack?_

Roland considered the ramifications, redoubling his resolve to make sure she had all the time needed to get better. He'd just have to start watching out for loud noises, even if sound became his enemy he wouldn't lose.

 **On the open sea…**

"RED ALERT!" The lookout screamed in fear at the colossal Grimm that loomed over their ship. It had not attacked yet, instead choosing to instill fear in all onboard before it struck.

 _It's almost as big as the dragon…_

Klaxon warnings alerted all passengers to seek shelter below decks, crew members sprinted to their battle stations. With Grimm attacks on the rise, such ships were determined to prevent themselves from being easy prey.

Esmerelda drew her blade, immediately extending it to the length of a halberd. To her relief, Sun leapt forward, the shimmer of his staff emerging from beneath the cloak.

 _He is armed._

The black-haired woman had taken action first, lunging towards the serpent-Grimm. The auburn-haired huntress gasped in surprise as the fighter suddenly duplicated herself, giving her a full look at her identity.

"BLAKE?"

The faunus member of Team RWBY was wearing a long white coat, tight black pants and boots with a midriff-bearing vest. Esmerelda hadn't recognized her at first glance without her bow as it had been removed, allowing her black cat-ears to stand proud and tall. Despite being unaware of the others aboard, she did not hesitated to lodge her Gambol Shroud into the Grimm's neck. Using it as leverage she swung around its body, emptying her clips into its head with seemingly no effect. After realizing the futility of her attacks, she bounced back towards the ship with a graceful landing.

"We have to help her!" Sun shouted, but Esmerelda held him back.

"Wait until the first salvo!" She warned him, well aware of the armaments of the vessel.

"Salvo?"

On cue, an entire line of cannons emerged from port and starboard openings built into the ship. The two covered their ears as the firing line started a concussive barrage towards the enemy. The monster shirked back, still unharmed yet the cannonballs were clearly felt as it pulled away to a safe distance.

"It's on the run!" One of the crew called out in premature celebration.

Once a sufficient distance, the creature reared up high in the air, arching its body with a sickening crunching sound. Within a matter of seconds, an enormous pair of wings sprouted from its back and it took to the sky with a roar, easily avoiding the renewed barrage.

 _It IS a dragon…_

The ship was armed with a dozen light guns on either side and a single heavy cannon atop which had finally been revealed and opened fire. Unfortunately, as a consequence of its larger caliber ammunition, it was slow to aim and fire, giving the sea-dragon more than enough time to avoid its shells which could pop the head off a Goliath. None of the rounds were even coming close against an airborne foe as streamlined and agile as it was.

"How many clones can you make at once?" Esmerelda asked as they ran towards the bow where it was currently encircling.

"Easily? Two."

A pair of magenta-clones of Esmerelda's naginata, Amenonuhoko, shimmered over her head, drifting down into Sun's hands.

"Use them!" She shouted after sprinting past Blake who only then noticed her.

"Ezzy?" She barely had time to comprehend her presence before she felt a weight on her head as another friend from Beacon used her body as a springboard to leap high into the air. "SUN?"

Esmerelda jumped high, though not enough to reach the airborne enemy. Once at the apex of her leap, a new weapon appeared, grasping it tightly, the gravity-defying blade dragged her towards the dragon. It swiped its massive tail towards her which she dodged despite feeling the force of the winds as it rushed by, finally landing atop its spine. With a grunt of effort she buried her weapon into its back to secure her position, using her real blade to slash repeatedly at its thick scales.

While the young woman had it distracted, Sun took action, clasping his hands together with a grin; a pair of light-clones burst to life and followed his path slamming into the Grimm's forehead. Both clones claimed a single naginata copy and lodged them into the snout of the dragon, causing it to shake furiously in pain. Even after Sun's clones dispersed, the long bladed polearms remained securely within.

The Grimm roared in anger, opening its maw as a powerful crackle of energy formed within. With an exhalation, a beam of pure electricity burst forth in a vain attempt to hit the monkey-faunus currently riding it. The blast scored a hit on the side of the vessel, obliterating the entire starboard line of light cannons as it cut across the surface.

Blake continued to fire her weapon towards the flying Grimm, screaming in her head why the two of them were on the ship. Angered, the sea-serpent performed a barrel roll, ripping Esmerelda from its back and depositing her back on the boat as she crash landed next to her faunus friend.

"Hi Blake, what are the odds?"

"What are you two doing here?" She shouted in frustration.

"Oh, you know…" Sun replied casually far in the distance despite being in the process of holding on for dear life while riding the bucking sea-dragon. "Just uh…hanging ooouuuut!"

"You look good, not now, later," Esmerelda hurriedly replied. "We need to go for the weak points, wings, eyes, perhaps even the…"

As she formulated a plan of attack, the colossus snuffed a burst of electricity through its snout, causing Sun to lose his grip. With a flex of its wings, the young huntsman was sent hurtling towards the nearby rock formations. Blake did not hesitate, using her weapon's cord to slingshot towards him, barely catching Sun before he would have crashed into the rocks below.

"My hero!" He gushed, flicking a hand off his chest as if he were a blushing damsel in distress.

"You're not supposed to be here!" She was livid with him, yet a hint of concern for how close he had come to injury hid behind it.

"Yeah?" He countered while still in her arms, sticking his face close. "Well, it looks like you could use all the help you can get. Three on one are better odds!"

In the distance they could see Esmerelda bouncing around the ship, dodging swooping attacks from the beast while trying to keep pace. Blake sighed heavily in defeat as she unceremoniously dropped Sun to the ground. "Just shut up and fight!" With that final word she rushed back to the ship.

"Yes ma'am!" The leader of Team SSSN replied while casually lying out across the flat surface as if he were posing for one of Horatio's portraits.

 **A few moments earlier…**

Esmerelda watched Blake spring off towards Sun's rescue, the Grimm ignoring her as it focused on the ship, opening its maw wide. Terror slowly etched itself into her features as she realized the buildup of electricity within…aimed squarely at the bridge. It continued weaving around so quickly no further cannon fire could land a hit. Team HERO's lancer leapt high, summoning eight clones instantly as a beam of pure energy burst forth from its mouth. She quickly formed the copies together, commanding them to spin rapidly until each individual one could not be made out by the naked eye. She rotated them into a wall as she had done at the docks of Vale so long ago…

 _I miss Roland's shield._

The blast of electricity impacted her barrier, splitting the beam around her and shattering two copies. A few rays cut into the hull, however most were thankfully redirected harmlessly into the sea. Sparing one of her extra blades, she commanded it to break off and fly straight for the sea-dragon while it was stationary and focused on her. The javelin found its, mark, piercing the left eye.

The beam cut out in synch with the roar of pain, enraged the serpent dove for her, forcing her to leap from the roof, barely scraping over a claw. It was fast for its size; she barely had time to stab another magenta clone into its back where the wings emerged. As she landed, it readied another blast, she couldn't recover in time.

A split second before she would have been hit, he was there, Sun emerged before her, twirling his staff expertly. It was too fast to tell, but it looked like he succeeded in scattering the energy harmlessly into the deck all with that lovable goofy grin as if it'd taken no effort at all. Blake dropped down beside him.

"Huntsman! Huntresses!" The Captain called out behind them. "If you can clip its wings and draw it out towards the bow, we can take it!"

Sun looked back towards the huntresses, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well…you two have the swords."

The winged serpent did not give time to coordinate, enraged by the loss of its eye and the instrument responsible continuing to send surges of pain within, it swooped down. The three jumped again, Blake risking a sprint along the length of its body to shred its left wing while Sun cracked the Grimm hard in the snout with his staff, using the momentum to propel himself to safety as its head dented the bow of the ship.

A clawed hand found Esmerelda, locking her in its grips like a vice. Her aura sputtered under the pressure, it was so strong. Fire burned in her gut even through her flickering defenses; with a growl of defiance she wedged her real blade along with a half dozen others into its wrist. Between the pain of its clipped wing and slashed arm, the sea-dragon released her, causing Esmerelda to slump to the deck weakly. She did not get back up.

Meanwhile, Blake had leapt from the tail upon completing her run just it flicked to the side, throwing her towards the nearby boulders. She prepared and braced herself for a rough landing.

Her impact never happened as the ever present monkey-faunus appeared out of nowhere, catching her in his arms in an identical fashion to how she had done for him not long before. He was still smiling.

"This is the part where you say it," he remarked, tilting his head upward as if to await her reply. Blake could only groan at his enthusiasm though could not resist the hint of red rising to her cheeks.

Before she could reply, the rocks started to cave out beneath them as the dragon slammed into it full force. It had abandoned the defeated quarry on the ship, now seeking retribution for its lost wing leaving it waterlogged.

"Maybe later!" Sun cried as the two scattered, jumping to every outcropping and land mass they could find in a mad dash to avoid its teeth.

No matter where they jumped, dove or hid, the immense Grimm stayed on them, destroying all in its path. Sun leapt a moment too slow, nearly being devoured were it not for Blake swinging in to save him at the last moment. They did not remain safe, however as Blake's line grew taught, swaying them to a stop just as the dragon got a bead on them, opening its maw to fire…

Suddenly, the Grimm jerked downward in an awkward fashion as if being dragged. The change in direction caused its devastating beam to miss the helpless faunus and disperse harmlessly into the sea a split second before the cruise ship slammed into it at full speed pinning it to the rock.

Esmerelda was kneeling upon the prow, hands raised with a vein throbbing in her forehead as if under incredible stress. She had reached out to the numerous copies of her weapon still lodged within the Grimm. Using all her strength she had pulled them harshly, succeeding in adjusting the serpent's aim if ever so slightly and was currently holding it in place at great effort.

"FIRE!" She heard the captain shout from the shattered windows of the bridge.

The heavy cannon erupted, the shot so close Esmerelda could hear ringing in her ears, but the pain was worth it. The shell exploded, blasting even the dragon's head apart above its claws, leaving the decapitated body to slump into the water as it disintegrated into a great plume of black smoke. Esmerelda finally released her hold, allowing her copies to disperse as she collapsed to the deck exhausted. It was over.

Over on the rocks, Sun cheered, completely oblivious to Blake's look of annoyance and anger at his presence now that she had a moment to relax.

"Alright!" Sun cheered as he raised his hand high expecting her to reciprocate the gesture. "Up top!"

Blake turned on him; she was absolutely fuming as she raised her hand. Sun realized too late it was aimed as his cheek rather than the outstretched hand.

*SMACK!*

 **Shion Village…**

Dead…everyone was dead.

Ember and Tyrian had finally reached the village of Shion, it appeared the word of bandit trouble had been accurate. The devastation was clearly the work of a combination of human greed and Grimm ferocity. Ember checked the pulses of the first dozen they found, but realized soon enough it was pointless. He could not help but stare at the destroyed sentry tower, scorched black from an incredible weapon. Tyrian on the other hand appeared to be absolutely entranced by the carnage around them, his near-manic expression of fascination never fading.

"Do you want…to ask one of them for directions?" He giggled in an unsettling manner.

"If you can find one who can speak," Ember replied quietly, closing the lids of a woman who had died running, her eyes wide open in fear. She had been slashed in the back by a bladed weapon; no Grimm claws could have made the wound. "Someone was here recently though."

"And here I thought I was the tracker," Tyrian looked almost insulted until he noticed his armored companion pointing ahead.

Near the center of town there was a small unmarked stone acting as a grave marker, the ground recently disturbed around it. No doubt remained that a body had been buried beneath.

"Hmmm, yes," Tyrian almost scurried over, looking at the grave with a calculating gaze. "Done by the attackers? No, no if they had that conscience they wouldn't be here or would have done it for everyone…"

Ember looked away in disgust as his eccentric companion began to dig up the grave with his bare hands, enough to get a look at the body within. He immediately broke out into laughter.

"A huntsman!" He continued to cackle. "Of course, of course, someone came by but was in a hurry so they made a bit of time to spare burying one of their own. And look, they were even kind enough to leave us some bread crumbs."

Tyrian referred to the scuffled footprints no doubt belonging to the ones responsible for the impromptu grave. They were all over the place around the grave, yet became clearer the further they got leading away from Shion.

Ember's nose caught a strong scent; leaning closer to the unmarked rock used as the tombstone he took a whiff.

 _Alcohol? A bit of drink for the dead?_ He briefly considered they may be following a group other than Ruby's unless one of them picked up a bad habit since Beacon. Nevertheless, it was their only lead.

"See, I told ya they'd send more."

Salem's trackers turned at the words, behind them a dozen ragged-looking men and women in various casual clothes started surrounding them. They were all armed with simplistic weapons ranging from machetes to pistols. Only their leader appeared to have a weapon of any note.

"Oooooo, what a development," Tyrian sneered though managed to maintain a modicum of self-control, standing up with a stretch of his shoulders. "I presume you were responsible for the party?"

"Our tribe does good work," the largest in the front answered. "The Grimm moved in a little too quick for my taste, didn't get a good look at everything there was to see."

"So you came back," Ember clenched his armored hands in anger. "For seconds?"

"And thirds and fourths until they stop sending huntsman for easy pickings."

"Uh, sir," a blonde woman behind him wielding an antique shotgun muttered. "He looks tougher than the last ones."

"Bah, he's all bluster in that tin can," the lead bandit assured her and the others. "Surround and tire him out, the other looks a few marbles short of the set."

 _Well, technically he's not wrong…_

"You were oddly courteous with him," Ember motioned to the grave.

"Not our work."

"Another group of Huntresses?" Tyrian's face lit up at the source of information that had walked into his clutches. "Perhaps a delicate little one in red?" The bandits stared blankly without replying.

"Tell us who came through here," Ember started. "And we'll let you leave."

The collected group started to laugh at the surrounded travelers. None save the first woman seemed to be worried of Tyrian's unsettling gaze, Ember's armored form or the black tube he carried on his back as tall as he was.

"That armor looks nice, dibs on the helmet," the leader called as he pointed his rifle and fired.

Ember did not move in the slightest, the weapon was a high-bore firearm capable of punching holes through an Atlesian Knight. The shot rang off a shoulder, ricocheting harmlessly into a nearby wall. He didn't even have to use his semblance, so thick was the armor provided by the good professor. The bandits finally showed some sign of worry at the complete ineffectiveness of the attack. Tyrian was reveling in their growing fear, barely containing himself.

 _These are the ones…they doomed this village. Humanity has enough to worry about with the Grimm, yet there are still those like this who prey on their own. Monsters come in many forms._

Ember's mood darkened at those thoughts, his Maiden would have been proud. He glanced back at Tyrian, his visage still hidden behind the imposing black helm.

"We need them to talk, do hold back won't you?"

With only a slight frown of disappointment the man shot off to the side faster than could be followed though half the bandits attempted to with their guns. At the same time, Ember lowered the hefty cylinder on his back to the ground, he wouldn't need it yet. The outlaws opened fire at the speedy hunter, their bullets not even coming close to touching him.

As they were distracted, Ember started running towards them at a full sprint. Three of their sword-wielders ran up to bar his path, swinging their blades towards his arm and shoulder joints. Clearly they were used to fighting armored opponents. Looks of shock and fear spread across their faces as, despite striking the supposed weakest part of his ensemble, their poor-quality weapons shattered into fragments that rained across the stonework. Horatio reached over, grabbing one with each hand and slamming their heads together. They slumped to the ground and did not get up. The last had no time to move before the armored knight seized his collar with a wound up fist waiting.

 _It just doesn't feel right fighting humans, they barely have any aura._

"K-kill him!" The leader shouted again, firing three more rounds, each one just as unsuccessful at piercing his suit as the last. "I said k…"

Only then did he realize his band was being picked apart behind him. Already two were lodged through the sides of buildings, three were flat on the ground and the last few were frantically trying to follow the swift attacker, barely able to keep from aiming at each other as he circled them like a predator toying with its meal. They did not last more than a few additional seconds.

Turning back, he realized too late that the knight had slipped into melee range. He pulled the trigger once more which struck the helm point blank. It left a smudge mark and nothing more, Ember having used a hint of his semblance to minimize the damage. Gripping the barrel of his gun, he snapped it with a single swift motion.

 _She was right, with how heavy this metal is I have kinetic energy to spare on command. I'll have to thank her for that again when I get back. Maybe I can find some tulips along the way, she hasn't gotten to leave Salem's realm in so long after all._

"Now," Ember's dark eyes shadowed by the helmet looked into the terrified tear-filled raider who in that moment was regretting all the decisions which led to this moment. "I believe you were telling us about a group that came through here first…"

 **Mistral Farm…**

Oscar yawned as quietly as he could from his hiding place. He had hollowed out an especially large patch of hay near the barn to lie in wait for the chicken thief to make their move again. He had been waiting every night since the last incident but so far it had been all quiet. If it went on, his aunt would be sure to notice the bags under his eyes despite her constant pining for the return of the knight from the other day.

 _Maybe it was just an animal or lone highwayman too afraid to come near the house,_ he thought as the night droned on. _After all, the opening was big enough for a human hand to reach in, or…_

 _ **Big enough for many types of smaller Grimm that rely on stealth over size or numbers…such as the rapier wasps, fox hounds or…**_

Oscar shot up, shaking his head. Where had that come from? The idea that it must have surely been one of a dozen different species of Grimm had just popped into his mind. He couldn't even name two kinds to save his life most days.

A loud bell chime snapped him back to the present, his trap had been sprung! Oscar shot out of his shelter, pitchfork in hand as he raced to the coop.

He arrived to find the clamp he had set over the hole broken on the ground; whoever or whatever it was had freed itself. He had placed a fake chicken of feathers and glue in the opening and all were thankfully accounted for. Nonetheless, a trail of green paint he had set in the opening led away to the woods. The path was made up of splotches with no obvious track or footprint, perhaps the sneak was only partially marked.

 _I have to stop it,_ Oscar told himself, gripping his makeshift weapon tighter as he raced after the trail. If the trap hurt them then there was a chance he could catch up to it and ensure their farm was protected.

 _ **It would be best to wait for sunrise, when it is…**_

Oscar ignored the back of his mind; if he waited it would get away and hide for another week or two before coming back. If it wasn't planning to go away, it had to be dealt with immediately. In the dark it was difficult to see but the young farmhand kept vigilant, looking over every bush and threatening shadow as he followed the trail. After several tense minutes he found a larger puddle than the rest as if the thief had stopped for a time and it had coalesced. There was no sign of it or any additional tracks, the trail had gone cold.

"Ah nuts," Oscar sighed, kicking a nearby patch of tall grass. He had put so much time and work into this trap, for it to have failed so completely…

 _ **ABOVE YOU!**_

Oscar looked up at the loud thought in his head, barely catching sight of something small and black dropping from the branches above. He barely had time to stumble forwards, dodging it by a hair's breadth. He could feel a trickle of blood from the shallow cut across the side of his face.

It was relatively small, barely two feet long like some sort of rodent. It vaguely resembled a mongoose with black fur and burning yellowish-red eyes. It was clearly a Grimm but Oscar did not recognize the species.

 _ **A Herpesta!**_

Apparently Oscar did recognize it; he must have seen it in a book somewhere. While small, the Grimm had its teeth bared, face locked in a menacing snarl that sent waves of cold through Oscar. He had never faced a Grimm before. He jabbed at it with his makeshift weapon again and again clumsily, the monster aptly bending and dodging each attempt with ease.

 _ **It will try to feint in order to draw out an opening, do not fall for it.**_

Sure enough, the Mongoose-Grimm hissed, moving forward as if to strike, had it not been for the words in the back of his mind the young boy would have flinched. Instead, something compelled him to hold his ground, causing the Grimm to pull back, disappointed at the lack of movement. It scurried around him; impossibly fast for its size. Oscar could scarcely follow it.

The stalking beast leapt after nearly getting out of sight, Oscar barely had time to swing his pitchfork before its teeth found his neck. The fangs bit through the wood, decapitating the head of his instrument and leaving him standing there holding little more than a wooden stick. The terrified young man fell backwards, collapsing to the ground.

He was completely open; the Grimm struck, leaping for his helpless prey once more.

Oscar's arm moved on its own, sliding the handle until he was holding the tip almost like a sword. In the blink of an eye, he thrust it outward expertly as if he'd done it a hundred times. His arm moved so fast, before the Grimm even neared him, he had jabbed it a dozen times…two dozen? The force of the attack cracked his wooden handle, splintering it while blasting back his opponent, slamming it into the oak behind it with a sickening crunch. Thankfully, the Grimm started smoking, disintegrating into the air at last.

The young farmhand just sat there panting heavily, his arm was killing him, he'd never practiced anything like that, it was like…

 _ **Instinct?**_

"Yea, that," he almost answered the thought in his head. "My aunt will be furious at what I did, but I got it! She is going to be so proud of me!"

 _ **Well, proud of us, but you did quite well considering your complete lack of training…**_

Oscar froze, only then realizing the voice in his head was separate from his own thoughts, speaking of one thing while he was trying to focus on another. He suddenly became fearful, scrambling towards a puddle of water nearby caused by the evening's rainstorm. With a pounding heart and sweaty hands he peered into the rippling depths.

He saw a face but it was not his own, it looked like an old man with glasses and all white hair. He was wearing a smile as if to try and placate the boy's fears despite the ridiculous situation he now found himself in.

"Hello, my name is Professor Ozpi…"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

 **Patch…**

Yang had kept herself busy since calming down with chores. It was dreary, normally the last thing she'd ever want to be doing but at the moment, it was all she could bring herself to do. After sweeping the outside porch she had collected the mail of what few local letters could arrive on a small island like Patch. She sighed disappointedly as if she had actually expected correspondences from one of her teammates or someone else she had known from Beacon.

Pyrrha was out back in the shed, rummaging around with some project she had been working on. Yang couldn't imagine what she could be doing, other than Bumblebee and a few spare parts the equipment inside had no materials to work on. She didn't know where Roland had gotten off to after preparing the reheated meal that had awaited her.

Yang had decided to do the dishes next, it was difficult with only a single arm but she found a way. They wouldn't be as clean as she could get them before, but such details didn't really matter to her. With a dull expression she continued her task, trying to finish up so she could sit down.

 _Roland looked like him again_ , she sighed, the feeling of guilt washing over her again.

She couldn't help it, when she heard that lamp fall she was back at Beacon…facing him. Why her wounded psyche chose Roland to personify the one responsible for her dismemberment she couldn't even begin to guess. Hesitantly, she glanced where her right arm used to be, currently obscured by her sleeve tied up tight to hide it. Despite all he had done for her, she didn't think she could see him again, not yet.

It was that sense of lethargy that caused her fingers to slip, releasing the glass to clank off the side of the sink towards the floor. Her eyes widened at her mistake as it neared the floor with no hope to reach it in time.

A flash of yellow entered her field of view as a shape flew past, catching the glass before it could hit the ground. Roland had dove out of nowhere, fingers gripping the drinking instrument and cradling it safely. He could not stop himself and slid into the nearby cupboard, somehow ending upside down with his head spinning.

"Roland?" She gasped, realizing who it was; in that moment her concern overrode any fear. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," he groaned, clearly in pain at his unexpected swan dive. "Photo finish," he produced the pristine glass and held it aloft awkwardly like a prize. "I think you cleaned up before a little TOO well," he rationalized upon stumbling to his feet, cracking his back several times for good measure. "It really mopped the floor with me."

Yang couldn't help herself, his previously upside down state, hair tussled and wet, yet a goofy grin still present on his face caused a soft chuckle to escape her lips. The second time she had laughed that day.

 _And it's from him…it always seems to be…_

He held the cup out to her, it was the last dish she hadn't finished cleaning. Already a large pile of sopping wet plates, bowels and other utensils had accumulated as she washed.

"Maybe…I could help dry them off?"

Yang didn't answer, reaching out to take the glass, her fingers brushing against his as she gripped the cold mug. The same thought ran through both their minds in that moment.

 _When was the last time we just held hands?_

 **On the open sea…**

"Oh thank you huntress…thank you!"

A group of passengers had approached the three after the battle once the commotion had died down and night fell. They could not help thanking them over and over again all the while asking if such an attack could occur again. Esmerelda assured them it was just their duty and that they would be safe the remainder of the voyage. Sun and Blake broke off while she finished the discussions and were having a heated argument of their own.

"I'm not going anywhere near the White Fang," Blake admitted as Esmerelda finally rejoined them. "Not yet."

"Seriously?" Sun seemed so confused.

"I…need to sort things out."

"Then why not do it with your team…your friends?" He stressed, throwing his arms up for emphasis.

"The others were going through so much after the fall," Esmerelda finally interjected. "I saw them at Patch, they were…"

"You two are ones to talk!" Blake snapped at them, first glaring at Sun. "Assuming Scarlet, Neptune and Sage aren't hiding below deck! And you, what about Roland and Olivia? How could you leave them after…after the tower!?"

"Well," Sun started first. "Do you really think we could have tricked Neptune onto a second boat? We sort of blew that chance heading to Vale for the festival. They opted to fly back to Mistral; I'll catch up with them."

"I said my goodbyes at Patch," Esmerelda threw back at her. "They KNOW I am out here fighting. Does anyone on your team know what you are doing at all? Where are you even heading?"

"…Home, to Menagerie."

Esmerelda's harsh expression softened at her answer, she couldn't bear to do anything but tell as much of the truth as she could.

"…Me too."

"You grew up in Menagerie?" Sun asked, greatly confused. "But you're a…you know…human."

"Only a few years," she admitted. "When the White Fang movement started becoming more…violent, my family moved me to the mainland. I couldn't have been more than ten or eleven at most."

"But the island is so small, how did we never meet?"

"My grandmother was…very overprotective," Esmerelda explained to Blake, growing hesitant to continue. "I didn't go out very much. I wanted to see how she was doing."

 _I don't recall any humans living on Menagerie_ , Blake pondered, trying to think of who her grandmother could be. _But no point in shattering her hopes en route…_

"Don't think you two are going alone!" Sun added once there was a long enough pause. "The Grimm are getting worse, that much is obvious. "And just because you aren't going after the White Fang doesn't mean they won't be after you. What kind of guy would I be if I let two beautiful ladies go it alone? And besides…I'm kind of already on the boat.

Esmerelda let a chuckle slip as she just shook her head. What was it about Sun that allowed him to stay so positive despite everything happening around them?

"Also Blake," he continued. "I always thought you looked WAY better without the bow…"

 **Salem's Domain…**

Cinder groaned in pain as the feeling of insects moving through her left arm intensified, a combination of her scarred throat and drive to never show weakness being the only things preventing her from crying out. She struggled to bring it back under control while her arm sought to command itself as if having a mind of its own.

"Don't fight it girl," Salem quietly instructed. They were within her council chamber, her master in black having summoned her for further treatment. Mercury and Emerald were standing at the entrance as guards. Despite Ember's request, there was nothing they could do to ease Cinder's trials; one wrong word to Salem could be the end of them.

The pale figure had her hand outstretched towards the Fall Maiden, the crawling sensation growing worse as she curled her fingers. Salem was working to acclimate Cinder's new addition to her body and it grew harder to control with each session.

 _But it's also growing stronger; every time I master it I can feel the power swell. This pain is nothing, I will conquer it and nothing will stop me…_

"It can sense your trepidation; you must make it…dread you."

Cinder focused harder, demanding obedience from the rebellious appendage. Each time it pushed back, causing spikes of pain with every attempt at subjugation.

"You were making such progress the other day," Salem's remark bit deep while she strove to strengthen her Maiden. "Whatever could have changed since then?"

Cinder looked away, acting as if the strain of wrestling for control over the arm prevented her from looking Salem in the eyes. It had been cooperating perfectly before…

 _What changed?_

Before Ember had left and they shared their farewell on the terrace, the arm had been completely subservient. She remembered the burning thoughts in the back of her mind, threatening that if it did anything to ruin their moment together she would tear it off and…

Almost instantly as the thoughts reentered her mind, the arm's defiant twitching ceased. She had full control over it once more.

"Ah, excellent," Salem complimented as she sensed her creation withdrawing at the imposing nature of Cinder's presence, though her scowl returned somewhat as she saw Cinder's eye. The slightest change that would have gone unnoticed by any who did not know her heart and soul, she had used thoughts of him to do it. "You cannot keep relying on that boy young one," she warned in a tone akin to a mother cautioning her daughter over her first crush. "As…pleasing as I am sure his presence is, do not forget he is still but a tool."

Cinder gritted her teeth, attempting to feign it was due to the pain that had already faded; otherwise Salem may have taken offense to the disapproving look at her harsh words. Before they could continue, a familiar clicking sound could be heard from the entrance.

A seer, the same that had summoned her to the meeting floated inside, spiked tentacles hovering alongside in a deceptively calm manner. Everyone knew better, even Emerald and Mercury took a step back, eyes wide in restrained fear at what they knew the Grimm was capable of. An ominous yellow light pulsated within its depths; none in the chamber save Salem knew where such a creature had come from. The strange, unsettling clicking noise was the only sound it produced as it made its way over to the table, coming to a stop between Cinder and Salem. The figure in black stared into the light, narrowing her eyes as if annoyed at what she saw within. Suddenly relaxing, she leaned forward to rest her chin on pale hands, the dagger-like gaze bored into Cinder's.

"Cinder, I'm going to ask you this one more time and I expect a CLEAR answer. Did you…kill Ozpin?"

Cinder hesitated at the suspicious question. Turning towards the door, she raised a hand to beckon Emerald to approach and speak for her.

"NO!" Salem boomed, slamming her hands onto the table as her eyes flared red. Emerald jumped and shirked back to the door, only Cinder remained unmoved by her master's show of anger. "I want to hear YOU say it…and none of that sign language you've been wasting your time learning."

Cinder's face softened, clearly straining to work her vocal cords long out of practice. The slightest attempt to speak caused incredible pain, after several seconds she finally forced out a single word at great effort.

"Y-yes."

Salem's stare did not waver, after several seconds she appeared to accept the answer yet immediately had another question.

"And our dear Ember, has he confided in you? Have you learned the secret behind his strength?"

A look of hesitation and concern flashed across Cinder's face for a moment, praying that Salem did not catch it. Unlike the first query, she answered as quickly as her injuries would allow.

"…No."

"Hmmm, that is…a pity. You must be losing your touch young one," Salem sighed in a clearly disappointed manner. "Come forward girl."

She was referring to Emerald who upon realizing she had become the focus of her attention slowly shuffled forward, a little faster once she saw a subtle head nod from Cinder. She stood as close as she could without getting near the seer still floating between.

"You worked…closely with the lad while Cinder was incapacitated. Did he reveal anything to you?"

"N-no," Emerald stuttered, glancing awkwardly between Salem and Cinder. "H-he never brought up his powers or fighting, we just…talked."

"What about? Do be detailed girl; anything could be a clue…"

 **Months ago…**

Cinder still slept, not having woken since the battle. Emerald had not needed to use her powers since the first time as the Maiden's dreams appeared calm and eventless. Mercury served ever to watch and warn should others encroach while Emerald had chosen a more personal position, watching over the woman who had saved her, and he was there too.

Horatio leaned back on the chair, small book in-hand. She had memorized that little book a dozen times over as he continued to read, finish and repeat. Without any other reading material available, save what Salem hoarded, there were few other options. Trays of eaten food rested in front of them, the aptly-named thief had foregone leaving the room for any reason since she had arrived at the keep. It was admirable, but she wouldn't even leave to eat anything. Horatio had taken up the duty, ensuring there was both food on hand for when Cinder awoke and for the girl who refused to leave her side. He was hoping she was warming up to his cooking as it was all she had eaten in days.

"…One of light, one of dark, while they worked together to create humanity it was ever the goal of the dark's creatures of Grimm to destroy them. The reason for this dichotomy has not yet been explained by…"

"MUST you keep going on and on?" Emerald snapped. She had just lost another round of Solitaire and the continued lack of improvement was grating on her.

"Until I have more to read, yes," Horatio replied obstinately. "You said no conversations and no talking to myself…it's either this book or silence."

"Then pick silence."

Horatio finally snapped the book shut, leaning forward in defiance of her commands. She wasn't the only one growing frustrated with the situation. He tried to be cordial despite everything, but he had had enough.

"How about conversation then, you know just about everything about me right?" He was certain Cinder had shared their conversations together or she'd simply watched him. "What about you? How did you meet Cinder?"

"Why don't you ask Mercury his life story?"

"I did, he was just as vague and according to him it was a short tale. But I am asking you YOUR story."

"Back off," Emerald threateningly locked her cold, unblinking expression onto him.

"Unlike Mercury, you're more than just following orders. Helping her like this, your paranoia over me plotting something…it screams admiration and real devotion."

"I could just be trying to keep my boss alive? You ever think about that?"

"I did," he refused to look away. "But then I wondered why you made me think Cinder jumped off a cliff last year."

Emerald's eyes widened at the memory, Horatio caught it instantly as he had not been truly certain until that moment it was her.

"I knew it! I thought I was going insane then, but it was your semblance wasn't it? It drove me nuts trying to figure it out, why would you make me think she had jumped…and then it hit me."

"I said," she growled. "Back…"

"You were testing me, to see if I would leap off after her."

Emerald jumped to her feet, her hand swinging across the air to slap his cheek. Horatio raised his hand, catching her at the wrist. Despite now holding her in his vice-like grip, he felt a sharp sting on his face. His own semblance took effect, causing her blow to not stagger him in the slightest. He knew full well he was not really holding her and it was all part of her own semblance making him see what she wanted, yet he did not falter.

"We both love her," he whispered low in case of prying ears. "So I just want to know what drew you to her, you know me…I want to know you."

"You want to know me?" Emerald looked enraged, it was the first time he realized her crimson eyes were so similar to his own. "I had nothing, living on the streets without a lien to my name, not knowing if I would find or steal enough food to make it through the day! You grew up in your safe little bubble, even after your family died you were protected…I didn't have that luxury!"

Horatio's eyes saddened and his grip loosened at her words which only seemed to cause her rage to bubble higher.

"You want know why I follow her? Why I make sure ANYONE who gets near her is worthy to be there? It's because I owe Cinder EVERYTHING, she has worked so hard to get what she wants and I won't let ANYONE hold her back or get in her way…satisfied?"

Horatio released the illusion of Emerald he was holding, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry, though I hope by now you believe that I only want to keep her safe, her and those important to her." Emerald just stared him down, it was clear she did not yet.

"It's going to take more than kind words to prove that, when I see it I'll believe it."

"You mean like bringing Cinder here for medical attention? When I could have gone anywhere else?"

"Then why didn't you?"

Horatio gritted his teeth, fist clenched which was noticed by Emerald. "Because after what she did and how bad her wounds were, I couldn't risk someone saying no to helping her…not even the CHANCE of it. She never would have survived..."

His thoughts fell to his friends, Esmerelda, Roland, Olivia…Ruby…everyone at Beacon, the look of anger in Jaune and concern on Ruby's face. After what Cinder did, he could not take the risk despite how much he'd wanted to…how badly he'd wanted to.

He held no anger towards Ruby for what she did; he'd stepped in front of the shot after all. Despite that, he could not help but feel a cold sweat forming on his brow at the memory. Cradled in Cinder's arms on the tower, silver light burning the left half of her body yet she stood strong, had she moved the light would have reached him too. And then he saw it, Ruby…with those terrifying eyes…

 _Everyone, I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't much of a team leader._

Emerald's features softened somewhat, clearly not having considered that before saying her peace. She almost looked regretful.

"If that is true…"

A soft groan interrupted them; a sound the two had awaited for so had interrupted their harsh words. On the bed, Cinder's lone remaining eye fluttered open, her mouth flopping open and closed in a vain attempt at sound.

"Cinder!" Horatio and Emerald called simultaneously, overjoyed that she was awake though afraid to embrace or touch her for fear of exacerbating her injuries. Their argument was long forgotten.

Cinder had no strength and could not get up with barely enough energy to move her head back and forth to tell who stood over her. To Emerald's disappointment, her gaze lingered on Horatio a few moments longer though she could not tell if it was due to contentment or surprise at his presence. Regardless, they did not need words to tell what her face was screaming at them.

"Keep it down, I am trying to rest."

 **Present…**

"I see," Salem nodded once the tale was complete. "The boy seems to have a talent for drawing others close to him, perhaps in time he will become one of my emissaries." Sitting up straighter, she crossed her hands over one another politely before turning back to the seer. "Reinforce our numbers at Beacon, the relic IS there."

The seer bobbed slightly before turning to float back out of the room, Mercury and Emerald made sure to give it a wide berth. Cinder turned back to Salem, noticing she was scratching her chin, seemingly ignoring her as she looked uncharacteristically confused.

"What are you planning?" She muttered into the night, her machinations were going so well…it would be a shame for an unknown to throw a cog into them.

 **Separated from one another in their trials, yet with friends ever in their thoughts, our heroes push forward. The members of Team HERO continue their struggles across Remnant. As always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	42. The Pasts that Forge Us

**Amelia: Thank you again for the kind words! So far Cinder has adhered to Ember's old family tradition of the only person who will know his secret...even to who she serves and fears. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter :D**

 **And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!**

Team RNJRR opened the door, rushing inside the inn quickly as a downpour had begun since arriving. It was the last sizable town on their path toward Mistral and was well defended against Grimm attacks. Regardless of their safety, the news had not been promising when they arrived.

Apparently Grimm attacks had worsened in the surrounding area; even the land-route train to Mistral had been destroyed several days past and cut off easy travel to the kingdom. Their only path left was to continue on foot past the mountain.

The team stopped at the inn within a suitably well-defended town seeking a place to sleep for the night; fortunately they had enough lien between them for modest accommodations. Most were exhausted but Olivia could not sleep, with an excuse of getting fresh air she slipped out into hall. She soon found herself in a small restaurant neighboring the bar next door. She chose a small table toward the back, sighing deep in thought.

 **You should get some sleep boss.**

 _You'd like that wouldn't you?_

 **So little faith? And after I helped out with the Nikos girl, what have I done to earn such distrust?**

 _You know full well._ She did not want to have this conversation, but it seemed there was no avoiding it.

 **We BOTH saw what was in their heads, they deserved what was coming. It didn't earn you cramming me along with all your darker thoughts down deep for all those years!**

 _We don't know if they did! We shouldn't have been in their minds to begin with. Not everyone acts on the thoughts in their head._

 **It's naïve thoughts like that which prove you need me. I don't want to go back, I won't.**

 _Then stop trying to make me think like that, I don't want to…_

 **Everyone thinks like that a little bit, by pushing me away you made me ONLY able to think like that. You got all the sunshine and rainbows while I got the cobwebs and bile.**

"I don't care," Olivia was so frustrated she actually spoke despite not needing to. "I just want things the way they were!"

"We all do."

Olivia turned, completely unaware that Ren had followed and approached her while she was distracted.

"May I join you?" She nodded slowly, wondering how long he'd been standing there.

"Where are the others?"

"Resting in the room," he folded his hands on the table between them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…fine…"

 **All sunshine and rainbows here.**

"The others are worried and so am I," Ren admitted. "You've seemed so conflicted and distant since Beacon. And despite what you may have told us, hair doesn't change color that fast even from stress."

 **Busteeeeeed…**

"I…have some stuff I have to work through, okay?"

Ren was silent, clearly trying to discern what was wrong on his own despite no hope of doing so.

"I respect your privacy," he started at length. "But for the moment we are traveling together, relying on each other. If you are having difficulties, please, let us help you. If not it will only serve to draw in the Grimm more when we are back on the open road."

 **I am quite good at that apparently. You already told JNPR everything about you at Patch…except me of course.**

"I trust you not to use your power on me," Ren insisted. "If you are scared of it occurring by accident…"

"It's not that," Olivia finally replied. "It's about her."

"Her who?"

Olivia gripped her hands together tighter. Ren was right; at the rate things were progressing they wouldn't make it to Haven before things got worse…a lot worse.

"Her name is Hildie…and it is a long story."

 _ **Patch…**_

 _"Okay, that's it," Ya_ ng instructed Roland. "Hold them gently just like that…"

"Yang, are you sure I'm doing this right?"

"Don't worry," she grinned mischievously. "They are easy to handle if you know how, just be careful and give them a good smack."

Roland complied, successfully cracking the shell and allowing him to break open the last of the eggs for breakfast. With Tai still out he had volunteered to cook despite a supreme lack of knowledge. Fortunately for him Yang was present and it seemed when she focused on a task all uncertainty and lethargy just fell away. He was acting as clueless as she seemed to improve with each passing moment.

They were both wearing matching white aprons over their standard clothes. Roland had been on the lookout for any sudden noises and had succeeded in preventing any further attacks. He had become surprisingly good at spotting trouble, even once catching a falling measuring cup with a foot before it hit the ground.

 _If I keep this up, she'll be better in no time,_ he hoped despite any real evidence as to whether that was how it worked.

"You are really good at this," he complimented as he took the whisk; a cooking utensil he was certain was a practical joke when Yang handed it to him, and mixed the yokes. "My mom refused to let ANYONE near the kitchen, it was her domain."

"I kind of had to be, have you tasted my dad's noodles? It was either learn or starve."

"Well…they were a tad overcooked, why didn't…"

Roland had to bite his tongue having nearly asked why her mother didn't cook for them. He didn't need Yang to say anything; she'd told him back at Beacon that she and Ruby were only half-sisters. He'd met Yang's mother and Tai's first wife back in Forever Fall, she had trusted him with that knowledge yet she never spoke about Ruby's mother.

"…why didn't Ruby learn?" He swiftly recovered.

Yang's lips spread serenely; it almost looked like the smile of a mother towards a silly daughter yet filled with pride all the same. Did Yang move to fill both her role as big sister and honorary mom after whatever happened with Ruby's?

"As if anyone could get her to make ANYTHING except cookies, as soon as she discovered them it ruined her for all other food. You should have seen the troubles she had, we…"

A knocking sound followed by the front door flying open in the next room over alerted them to company though it didn't take long to discover who.

"I'm home!" Tai called out to the empty living room, drawing Pyrrha from outside and the two in the kitchen. Roland could not help but notice Tai's suspicious glances at noticing he and Yang in matching aprons. "I've got packages for you two."

"What?" Pyrrha asked as she made her way down, confused upon realizing he was referring to her and Yang.

"Special delivery from the mainland, apparently a village owed some huntsmen a favor and made sure it arrived as quickly as possible." He handed a moderately sized square box to the young Spartan who lowered it to peruse the contents as he turned to Yang. "I can't WAIT for you to try this!" With a glowing smile of pride, Tai shifted the boxes in his hand, pulling out a long thin package. As Yang approached, he laid it on the coffee table and took a step back.

"For me?"

"For you, and you only," he smiled back.

Yang breathed deep, she had an idea of what lay within based on the size and shape but she had to know for certain. With slow hands she gripped the lid and lifted it away to reveal the contents. Within the case was a shiny white and silver metallic arm. It reminded Roland of the Atlas Knights they had fought against and alongside at Beacon. It was pristine, if Olivia were present no doubt she'd be gushing at the craftsmanship and intricacy required in its making.

"Brand new state of the art Atlas tech," Tai announced proudly. "I thought I was going to have to call in more than a few favors, but you earned this one all on your own kiddo."

"How?" Roland asked, risking a step forward for a better look.

"Before I could even talk to him, General Ironwood already had one of his top scientists working on this…for you! He wanted me to tell you that you fought admirably, you all did, and you should be proud of yourselves."

 _I could kiss that man!_ Roland screamed in his head, his calm betraying the elation in his chest. _With this arm as an option…she might say yes! It would only take a few adjustments to fit my own arm._

"It's…great," Yang answered. Despite her words she had no enthusiasm as she took the package and heading up the stairs. "Thanks dad, really." With that final word she disappeared upstairs.

Tai sighed, Roland unintentionally performing the same gesture, mirroring him eerily close due to their similar attires. The two men glanced towards each other, both equally uncertain how to proceed. Their hopes had collectively soared with the arrival of the arm, the fact that it hadn't elicited a similar rise out of Yang was disconcerting. They were so worried that they didn't notice Pyrrha opening her package to reveal a familiar set of pear white diamond-shaped armor and shoulder guards with a note inside.

"You gave me a piece of yourself and I've made good use of it. I hope you are able to do the same with a piece of me," signed Jaune.

"Oh Jaune," Pyrrha hugged the armor close, her mind racing with the possibilities of what she could do with the sturdy breastplate in her arms.

 **Atlas…**

Weiss wandered the halls of her manor once more; there was more than enough room for it until the attendees arrived in a few days. Music sheet in hand, she was memorizing the lyrics. Her father was locked in his study as he often was, meeting with business partners and even rivals. He was calling in every favor and seeking any advantage he could to make a profit despite the embargo enforced by General Ironwood.

Most uncomfortable of all, at her father's behest she had straightened her ponytail so it was lined up and centered properly. It felt off to her, like having only one shoe on when walking.

 _I need this to be perfect, the more publicity we bring to what happened at Beacon, the better._

"Salutations friend Schnee!"

Sure enough, the young heiress spotted the bubbly attaché to General Ironwood rounding a corner. She was surprised to see her about the mansion after her father's previous voiced distaste for what she was.

"You can call me Weiss, Penny," she smiled back, ever happy to see another friendly familiar face.

"That is good; your brother insists on calling me 'it' and demands I not approach him for conversations friendly or otherwise. I am not fond of him."

Weiss felt the sudden need to smack her little brother. "What are you doing here?"

"The general and Mr. Schnee are having another heated discussion on the status of trade and kingdom defense. I have been dismissed for the evening, your butler Klein thought you could use some company while my duties are temporarily suspended. What activities are you currently performing?"

 _He's always looking out for me._

"Just practicing for the concert," Weiss normally couldn't stand the overly official and complicated words of Penny's vocabulary. Yet now she couldn't care less how the former student spoke, it didn't seem to matter anymore. "Most people grossly underestimate the work and preparation required for performing."

 _Father being one of them._

 _"_ The general made certain to free up time to attend, I have never witnessed a musical gathering." Penny was clearly restraining from hopping up and down like a little girl. She had been on duty during the festival and only infrequently got to spend time with Cameron. "If only Ruby could attend this would be perfect!"

Weiss' previous smirk died at the mention of her team leader's name. She hadn't seen her since being forced to leave Patch; she had still been unconscious from the battle. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye…

"You're right, it would be."

"Based on their deliberations, the general will be in meeting for quite some time. If it is agreeable, perhaps I could be your test audience."

Penny's smile was ever genuine and inescapable. Not even the aptly named ice queen could resist nodding as the two started to walk together, her melodious voice echoing throughout the empty halls of Schnee Manor.

 **Menagerie Landing…**

The ships horn sounded loudly that they had made landfall, the ring of the afternoon bell in the middle of the nearby square going off almost in tandem. The humidity hit the trio as they walked down the plank towards the throng of faunus standing about the dock. Wherever they looked there were more people walking around going about their daily routine.

There were merchants, performers, dealers and more than a few shady looking individuals keeping to the shadows of the buildings. In the immediate area, dozens of people from just as many walks of life were gathered and beyond there were even more.

"Wow, sure is pretty crowded," Sun remarked as they squeezed through the crowds.

"Sure is," Blake answered flatly.

"I never really noticed before now," Esmerelda admitted, realizing only once off the boat is was the first time walking the streets without a form-obscuring hoodie.

The island of Menagerie was the home 'gifted' to the faunus after the Great War eighty years earlier. It seemed a kind gesture at first until the details started to emerge. The island was two-thirds desert and that portion was crawling with some of the most dangerous Grimm known worldwide. As a result, the entire faunus population was forced to find space on the remaining third. It had become obvious the island had been given to quiet the faunus, hoping they'd take it and be content…such uncaring nature had led to the early days of the White Fang.

"How could you not notice?"

"After my mom and dad were lost at sea, my family was VERY worried about how safe I was as the only human on the island." Esmerelda shuffled with her top uncomfortably at the direction the conversation had taken. "She refused to allow me outside unless I was covered to hide that I wasn't a faunus. The only time I ever got to be outside I was mostly alone, except…"

 **Years ago….**

A little girl with strands of red hair emerging from her hood shuffled past the buildings, unlike most that were walking out in the open, she was sticking to the shadows. She wore a dull grey hoodie two sizes too big for her as she had been told, hiding all features of her body while retreating to her sanctuary. She was seldom allowed out, however when her nana was off with friends of her ma and da she could sneak away from their house. As long as she was back before sundown she would be none the wiser…she never was. Finding the loose plate on the side of a condemned building, the girl slid it aside just enough to slip in, closing it behind her.

As soon as she was alone in the dark of the structure she cast off her hot overbearing hoodie, allowing the air to hit her. Despite the still-warm humidity of her hideaway, she could not have felt more open as she ran across the deserted structure.

"Your general has returned!" She proclaimed to a lineup of soldiers made of sticks, rocks and anything else she could find. She had created several short rows standing as best they could at attention. "Status report!"

The assorted soldiers did not reply.

"Excellent! Then our fortress is secured," she sneered with in triumph. This was the only time she got to really let loose. Even at home she was not allowed to make noises that might draw attention. In this place though she was completely…

"I think your troops have been lax in their job."

The girl spun fast, only now catching the silhouette of another child. Based on his size he must have been about her age, she scrambled to find her hoodie but it was far on the opposite side of the building. He had seen her.

"I didn't mean to scare you," the boy hopped down and she got a better look at him. He had messy brown hair and was dressed in a ragged black shirt with matching shorts. She spotted the small nubs of wings growing out of his back. To her horror he was looking her over.

"Get out!" She shouted. "This is my spot!"

"I didn't see your name on it; in fact I've never seen you before. Are you new to the island?" He asked as his eyes roamed. She knew what he was looking for and he wouldn't find it.

"I-I've lived here my whole life, please leave…"

"What are you? No fur, wings, ears, horns, claws; can you change your skin?"

"Please, I just want to play."

The boy's eyes widened in excitement as the truth passed through his mind. He spoke his thoughts without hesitation, "I've heard about your kind, are you a human?!"

That was all it took, tears welled in her eyes and she squatted down, covering her face with her hands as she started to sob. She had been found out, the one thing they didn't want and she had just given it away. If he went out to tell others it'd be all over the island in no time.

"Hey, hey," the boy inched closer. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

"My dad always said that humans were supposed to be scary, but you aren't scary at all. If it means that much to you," he muttered under his breath. "I can keep it a secret, I'm SUPER good at those!"

The girl looked up into his eyes, sniffling back the tears trying to tell if he was being serious. From what she could tell of the big awkward grin on his lips he seemed to be sincere.

"P-promise?"

"Of course, I'd never lie to a pretty girl, but only if you tell me your name."

"Esmerelda…Esmerelda Mustra."

"It's nice to meet you Esmerelda," the six-year old held out a dirt-covered hand. "My name is Yuma."

 **Present Day…**

"Not a faunus eh?"

A shoulder checked Esmerelda harder than the others passing by and shook her from her memories, clearly intentional as she stumbled into others near her. Sun and Blake helped her back up, turning to the one responsible.

An especially tall young man flanked by three others had made an opening in the crowd as other civilians moved to avoid them. He had a round pair of ears clearly the trait of a bear though he seemed to have enough body hair to match as well. Those around him had varying traits form a short woman with a red fox tail, and a pair of tall sleek men with green panther eyes and sharp talons respectively.

 _Barely off the boat…_

"Ya know," the lead bear-faunus started. "I thought you looked rather cute, but after what you said and now that I look real close…you aren't a faunus at all. What a waste."

Esmerelda reigned in her anger; it would not do to start a scene.

"I am just here visiting family, may I pass?"

"There is no family for you here. How about you turn right around and get back on the boat?" He asserted, puffing out his chest to the snickering of his posse.

"What is wrong with you?" Sun stood up beside her, Blake flanking the other side. "We were literally just walking!"

"Walking with a human," he spat, clearly having been looking for a fight about something all day. "They gave us this land, the least they can do is stay off it." Esmerelda tried to just walk by, however the four would always step into her path clearly unwilling to let it go.

 _I can't believe I was so careless! I was supposed to stay under the radar and I open my big mouth in such a crowd. If things come to blows I'll never get a chance to…_

"It's either the boat or going through us," he growled, cracking his neck for emphasis. Sun and Blake lined up next to Esmerelda ready to back her up at a moment's notice. "What's it going to…?"

The fox-faunus backup he had went sailing over his head, slamming into a nearby fruit stand with a resounding crash. The bear turned around.

A tall elderly woman with white hair in a matching robe bent her back, avoiding a slash by the remaining clawed thug expertly dodging his haphazard swings with minimal movement and cracking him at each opening he left her with a sturdy oak cane. The green-eyed panther attempted to aid his comrade, advancing on the woman from behind with hands extended.

What had been mistaken for a white robe unfolded, revealing a large pair of swan wings that body slammed him in the chest, he went flying backwards into a brick wall, slumping to the ground and did not get back up. The green-eyed assailant finally succumbed to the merciless blows and fled into the crowds

The lead thug roared, rushing the stranger who had interrupted his planned fun for the day. Despite looking in the complete opposite direction, the old woman sidestepped him, hooking her cane around an ankle as he raced past her previous position. The large bear went tumbling over onto his face to immediately feel a slap of the cane on his face, threatening a renewed beating.

"You can go ahead and return home Poh." She started with a throaty yet commanding voice. "Your mother is worried sick and I feel you've done that enough to the poor woman for the week."

"Ms. Musta?" He groaned upon finally recognizing the attacker. "How can you defend a human?"

The old swan-faunus slapped him in the face with her cane again, leaving a painful welt.

"I'm not defending a human you walking stereotype! I'm protecting my granddaughter!"

"Your grand…?" The young man looked between her and Esmerelda in shock and fear. Without another word he scrambled to his friends, picking up who he could and kicking the others awake before they disappeared into the spectators.

The woman wiped off her dress despite the apparent lack of dirt, folding the large wings back around her body as if for warmth. Sun and Blake just stared dumbfounded at the newcomer who had taken out four ruffians without any effort. Esmerelda stepped forward with a sigh so she was directly in front of her. Blake couldn't be completely certain, but it seemed like she was standing a little straighter, her face flattening to be as polite and emotionless as possible. It was only then they realized they both had matching deep-blue eyes.

"Hello Esmerelda," she greeted. "It has been too long; you seem to be doing well. Have you been eating properly? Not five minutes after landing and you already find yourself hip deep in trouble. I hope you now understand the precautions I took in your youth."

"It has, I have and I do," she admitted. "It is…agreeable to see you again nana."

Sun and Blake immediately looked to each other and back to them before simultaneously asking the same question on their minds.

"NANA?"

 **Village Inn…**

Ren just sat there, eyes ever calm yet the hint of confusion at the story Olivia had finally confided in him. A second personality, one made of all the negative emotions she had pushed away along with much of her semblance for years having risen to the surface since utilizing her power at Beacon. And worse yet it seemed she couldn't be pushed away so easily a second time.

"I…don't know what to say," he finally answered. "She is tied to your semblance?"

"She seems to be," Olivia nodded. "I just…don't want her to come out at a bad time, I have no idea how she'd act."

"I feel this is a much more deep-routed issue related to your semblance and emotions overall, perhaps with additional practice…"

"No," Olivia asserted. "I used it once and this happened," she motioned to her hair now half platinum silver and blonde. "If I use it again, she'll have full reign, I know it."

"All humans have positive and negative emotions; if we didn't the Grimm wouldn't be a problem. You need to confront this Hildie once we have some time, perhaps after we reach Haven. My semblance allows me to suppress emotions, perhaps if I can mute her for the rest of our trip we can…"

Olivia's hand lashed out, gripping Ren's wrist and bending it painfully even through his aura. Her eyes had gone black as pitch with a dim red within and a truly terrifying scowl had formed on her lips.

"You try and lock me away again, and not even your little Valkyrie friend will find where I bury your bones!"

Olivia blinked at Ren's look of terror, her eyes reverting back to their normal rose-pink color as she seized her hand and yanked it back.

"I am so sorry," Olivia stood up with tears in her eyes to step away from Ren. "She can hear everything I say or think. For your own safety I…I can't have you do that."

"Olivia…"

"I'll be outside; I can find somewhere to rest for the night." Without allowing him to retort, she rushed out the doors into the night air too terrified to sleep near her friends. The young huntsman in training could only watch, utterly baffled on how he might help his fellow traveler and friend.

 **Tavern Bar….**

Qrow sighed from the table in the bar, thankful that none of Ruby's team would ever have a reason to step inside. He'd be able to watch them and get something drink at the same time. That is…if he'd had any money. Ruby's uncle had been tailing them since Patch, making sure they were protected from the hordes of Grimm roaming the countryside. It had been grueling as it seemed everything within miles had been drawn towards their traveling band. If he hadn't been working non-stop they would have been swarmed on a daily basis.

 _What could be attracting so many?_ He contemplated; it was as if the negative emotions of an entire crowd were drawing them in. Even as they spoke, Grimm attacks on the village defenses were up by a small margin.

The older huntsman sighed as he kept an eye on the kids that he could from his seat. His thoughts were interrupted as the waitress placed a drink in front of him, one he hadn't ordered. He quickly turned to explain her mistake.

"Oh, I didn't…"

"From the woman upstairs, red eyes, said you wouldn't mind the bottom self," the admittedly attractive waitress motioned towards the bar's second level which had been unoccupied when he'd entered.

 _She's here…of course she is, probably wants to rub it in a bit._

"Thanks," he muttered, dreading the conversation he knew was coming.

"But…I went ahead and gave you top. Lucky you." The waitress leaned forward with a whisper, throwing a flirtatious wink and smile his way before continuing on her rounds.

 _Lucky me,_ Qrow risked a mischievous grin to slip through. _I may be twenty years too old and forced to be a respectable role model…but I still got it._

With a renewed outlook, he picked up his drink, taking a deep sip as he slipped up the creaky wooden steps. The second floor was small, only able to hold about a half dozen tables. Each of which was unoccupied…until he got a look in the back. A dark-haired woman in red and black armor sat in a seat, a second empty one across from her. She had lit the small table lamp, the light throwing an eerie shadow across her features and the pale-white Grimm mask she had propped on the table.

 _Who knew she could get even more ominous?_

"Hello brother," she greeted as he came into view, her smile of smug superiority never wavering. How much he despised that smile.

"Raven," he nodded before slowly approaching, pulling out the empty chair. He just stood there, eye darting between her and the mask she had pushed too far to his side of the table. After several seconds she acquiesced and pulled it closer, prompting him to take a seat. "So what do you want?"

"A girl can't just catch up with her family?" She asked, throwing her hands up innocently.

"She can, but you're not," he replied bluntly. "How about we get on with it? Unless you plan to keep these coming." He took another sip of his drink for emphasis.

"Does she have it?"

Qrow leaned back, knowing full well to what she was referring. Despite that, he didn't feel like answering her just yet.

"Did you know Yang lost her arm?"

Raven clenched her fists at his words, "That's not…"

"Rhetorical question, I know you know," Qrow interrupted. "It's just a little obnoxious that you bring up family then carry on like your own daughter doesn't exist. That a boy she met less than a year ago has been caring for her when she needs it more than her own mother."

"I SAVED her," Raven stressed. "Her AND that little brat you think so highly of!"

"Once, cause that is your rule right? I'm surprised your confusing code extended to him but that doesn't make you 'mom of the year' sis."

Qrow reached down to take another sip only for Raven to seize his wrist, staring daggers into her brother.

"I told you Beacon would fall," she whispered. "And it did. I told you Ozpin would fail and he has. Now you tell me, does…Salem…have it?"

"And here I thought you weren't interested in any of that…just like Maggie." Raven's eyes widened at his mention of the name, with an annoyed expression she released his wrist and leaned back. "You should come back Raven, the only way we beat her is by working together…all of us."

"You're the one who left, after the tribe raised us and you turned your back on them."

"They were killers and thieves, how many villages did we destroy? Hell we probably killed as many innocents as the Grimm, I'm surprised you got her to help."

"Her?" Raven raised an eyebrow as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I saw what you did to the people of Shion."

Qrow recalled his trailing behind Ruby and her team, taking a moment to stop at an unmarked grave they made time to dig. He even gave up some of his flask for the unfortunate huntsman buried beneath.

"The weak die, the strong live. Those are the rules." The tribe-leader asserted.

"I saw the damage," he stared her down. "I know full well that wasn't you or anyone from our 'family' either."

Raven had reached the limit of her patience, she knew her brother well enough. He was diverting attention from one important fact.

"If you don't know where the relic is…" Raven stood to her feet to leave.

"Maggie's son was a casualty at Beacon, did you know that?"

Raven froze, the slightest hint of surprise crossing her eyes, though not enough of a shock as it should have been.

"So you DID know she had a kid? I imagine that was quite the revelation, our little tribe-sister marrying a filthy huntsman? I was surprised as hell when Oz brought me to him. It would have been nice to know that a few years ago. I'm fairly certain she never took to your skewed family code. If you know where she is, I think you should tell her what your rules cost her."

"I haven't seen her since she left, another ungrateful child like you."

Qrow narrowed his eyes, as if he trusted Raven in regards to something like this.

"We NEED the Spring Maiden; if you know where she is…you need to tell me."

"And why would I do that?" Raven scooped up her helmet from the table.

"Because without her, we are ALL going to die." Qrow stared into her eyes with absolute certainty.

"I look out for family…my family," Raven asserted and donned her helmet before turning as a red schism in the air appeared behind her. "If you want that to include you, you know what to do." Without a look back she walked through as it closed behind her.

 _That shortsighted…! How we can be related is beyond…_

A sound of shattering glass and loud gasp caused him to turn, realizing that the flirty waitress from before had witnessed his sister's disappearing trick. She was shaking from head to toe with a terrified expression locked on her face.

 _Might as well diffuse the situation a little,_ Qrow sighed as he held up drink barely touched.

"Better make this a double."

 **Pasts and secrets come to the forefront, shedding light on the circumstances leading to our heroes and their current outlooks. As always, I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D**


	43. Cages of Different Sorts

**Constipated Genius: Ren has that effect on people, especially considering how quickly Hildie is working her way up the ranks. As for Yang and Roland…this chapter will be your go to ;) Funny enough, the Bear-faunus name of Poh was a reference to Winnie the Pooh…Kung Fu Panda never even occurred to me XD**

 **bookwrym321: No kidding, Hildie can get preeetttyyy touchy at the subject of being suppressed again. Now all I can picture is Yang just smacking Roland over and over with her arm xD, and not to worry…Pyrrha's project is soon to reveal itself. Indeed lol, Ezzy's grandmother is not one to beat around the bush. You cross her…you get the cane xD**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark** **: I am so glad you've been enjoying my story so far. I hope to never disappoint. :D**

 **CatPeople WithGuns: Thank you very much, no baguettes though…did you see the ones at Beacon? They're so cold you could knock someone out cold with one. XD. I try to update every 1-2 weeks depending on my RL schedule though I am going slow while Vol. 6 is released.**

 **ahsoei: At first I did split them to keep the arcs separate, but noticed not many new readers were transitioning to the new story. So I decided to update both until the end of Volume 4 after which time I will keep updating this one only going forward. Since so many of my long-standing readers did check it out, I didn't want to simply delete it.**

Roland opened his door a crack, making sure the hallways were clear. He was certain he'd heard Tai pass by downstairs a few minutes prior, he wouldn't get another chance. With silent footsteps, now know each creaky beam and section of the floor to avoid he made his way towards yang's room. He couldn't wait till morning.

 _She's been locked in her room all day since getting the arm._ He sighed, having had no chance to talk with her. _She clearly is hesitant to take it up, maybe now she…_

The shield-bearer of Team HERO looked in surprise, the gleam from under the door revealing that Yang's lights were on. What she still awake?

"Yang," he whispered as loudly as he dared. The lights were on downstairs as well; whatever her father was doing he hoped it would keep him busy. Were he to be discovered now, certain death was sure to follow. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, come in."

 _Must be the nightmares still,_ Roland breathed deep as he opened the door. _Just put it out there, she'll be against it I imagine, but with the arm as an option I can convince…_

Roland locked eyes on Yang sitting in front of a mirror; she was so focused on something she wasn't even looking at him when he opened the door. She was still dressed in the orange top and baggy pants she had adopted during her stay. A smile graced his lips as he spotted a flash of silver and lilac at her neck, the gift he had given her in Vale. She was fully concentrating on adjusting the silver metal arm now connected to the stump of where her previous had resided.

 _She…put it on already…_

"Good timing," Yang remarked with a calm grunt of frustration. "Unlike the Ice Queen I am not left handed. Can you give me a hand tightening this bolt?"

Roland just stood at the entrance for several seconds taking in the scene before him. She looked uncertain of course, but she seemed better. He had expected her to be hesitating putting on the arm as it would be tantamount to accepting it as a piece of her and what she had was not coming back. He had to shake himself back to the present.

"S-sure," he replied at length, approaching Yang as she handed him a strange tool that looked like a screwdriver and wrench merged into one. "Does it hurt?"

"Stung like a Rapier Wasp at first," she admitted while pointing out where she needed tightened. "Now it just feels," she paused to select her words, "different."

"Well you know what they say, the first time is the hardest," Roland remarked without thinking. With how laid back she was acting over it he had reverted to his default setting. Quickly he scrambled to think of how to apologize but Yang beat him to it.

"Eh, I might have trouble with the first two or three arms, after that I'm sure I'll be an expert."

 _She's…okay with it?_

"Yang, I…"

He didn't get a chance to finish, as his hand twisted the bolt into place, her remaining hand reached up to cup his own. She didn't look at him, maintaining her gaze into the mirror. Regardless, the fringes of a genuine smile formed on her lips for a moment before devolving into the goofy grin he had missed so much.

"I'm not supposed to use it for anything stressful until the nerves acclimate," she explained. "Though I think the transition will be much butter with you here."

 _I'm such a moron,_ Roland berated himself. _I almost made the same mistake again. How can I keep forgetting how…amazing she is? I could have ruined everything, she…she was always strong enough. I was the one who needed help._ He thought back to all the times he tried to take the pain from others; Casey, Olivia, even Yang in small amounts to hide the drawback of his semblance. He wanted to help his friends so much. _But hurting myself like that would only hurt them just as much, trading one pain for another. As much as I wanted to help you Yang…you were doing the same for me._

"Well you know me," he finally continued. "If you ever need a hand…you know I'll be here."

Yang turned towards him, causing the young man to kneel so they were at equal level.

"That was the worst one you've ever come up with," she teased.

"I guess I still have a thing or two to learn."

Her eyes shimmered in the light of the room; the two just couldn't look away as they steadily drifted closer to one another. He risked a hand placed on her shoulder. A loud crash downstairs shook them from their mutual trance, snapping attention towards the door so they could hear better.

"Like what you see?" They heard a voice that wasn't Tai's before a raucous chorus of laughter soon followed. The two teenagers looked at each other with identically confused expressions as they recognized the voice without a doubt.

 _Professor Port?_

 **Downstairs…**

With growing worry at what awaited them, Roland and Yang made their way downstairs. Sure enough, the light in the kitchen was on and was the source of the noise. Their former teachers Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck were sitting around the kitchen table with her father Tai leaning against a counter. The portly teacher was laying on his back looking up at the ceiling as if he'd just recently fallen over as the other two and even he himself laughed at his own expense. Even Yang could not stifle a little snicker at the ridiculous-looking situation.

"Oh…Ms. Xiao Long!" Professor Port called out at noticing their presence and leaping to his feet. "Mr. Mane! Please join us!" Doctor Oobleck had similarly stood to his feet, tucking in his shirt and standing straight as if to recover a modicum of his former professional status.

"Yes, yes," Oobleck agreed as he nodded his head vigorously while tightening the grip around his cup. Based on the two were acting Roland was relatively certain it wasn't coffee in there this time. "Pull up a chair, please pull up a chair!"

"Thank you," Roland complied with his request while Yang hopped up on the nearby counter. She was a bit too forceful with her new robotic arm, cracking the marble surface.

"Oops, sorry."

"Don't be!" Tai rushed for a pan to brush away the remains. "The general mentioned it would take time before you get used to it."

"And I am sure that will take no time at all!" Port called out in his usual overly-boisterous tone. "You were one of the finest students of your year! With Beacon's collapse many transferred to other schools, I know of CFVY and CRDL at least relocating to Shade Academy…I did not enjoy writing those letters of recommendation as much as they were well-earned. Speaking of our best students how has been Ms. Nikos' recovery?"

"…Slow," Tai admitted at length. "How did her folks take the news?"

"They," Oobleck paused as he recalled their previous visit before Patch. They had informed Mr. and Mrs. Nikos of their daughter's survival. They were overjoyed until the mention of the fear that the ones responsible for the fall may come after her again and her location must remain a secret. They understood yet had shed many tears. "Took it better than expected."

Tai nodded, Pyrrha was currently conked out in her room upstairs and considering how long she'd been working on her project in the shed it was highly unlikely even their ruckus could wake her.

"It is so good to see you again Professor," Roland leaned over to share a quick hug between the two. "What are you two doing here?"

"Relaxing with an old friend," Oobleck answered for him. "We tried to get Ms. Goodwitch and Ms. Peach to come as well but they were…preoccupied with restoring Vale. Your father sends his regards."

"Dad was there?"

"Indeed, his firm has been helping raise the necessary funds for much of the repairs. He voiced his desire to come; alas he could not get away. He and your mother send their best to you, Ms. Xiao Long and your team."

"Come on now, we can worry about that stuff in the morning," Tai worked to change the subject back to the discussion prior to the teens joining them. "So there we were in the auditorium, looking at Qrow wearing a skirt and Ozpin says 'it's time to start working on our landing strategies!"

The kitchen burst into laughter as each recalled their own chosen strategy from Yang's Ember Celica propulsion, Roland's shield surfing or even Oobleck's uncharacteristically simple idea of 'aim the weapon down, fire and hope for the best.'

"The Branwen twins have always been…interesting to say the least," Oobleck finally remarked as the laughter in his belly subsided.

"That sure didn't seem to stop young Tai," Port continued, raising his eyebrows suggestively towards the grizzled huntsman near the counter. He did not seem to appreciate the implication involving the woman he had tried to steer clear of discussing.

"Come on man," Tai's playful tone had disappeared as he motioned towards his daughter. "She's right here."

"Oh please, she is a mature young woman," Port waved him off, the contents of his drink loosening his tongue even more than it already was most days. If she can handle combat, she can handle a few jabs at her old man."

 _He doesn't get it,_ Tai sighed.

"That's not the issue Pete, besides she's still a teenager…"

"SHE is also in the room," Yang interrupted. "And can be directly spoken to. And "I" think we have been through enough to be considered adults at this point." She motioned between Roland and herself, the young man suddenly wished he had a glass nearby to absentmindedly sip as he felt very uncomfortable with the direction of the discussion.

Her father's face screamed subtly that he did not want to have the conversation, but between Yang's piercing eyes and the side glances of the other three attendees, there was no escape.

"Adult or not, you've still got a long way to go before you are ready for the real world."

"A long way to…" Yang flexed her new arm forward as if in proof against his statement. "How far do you want us to go? Off the map?"

"You've made amazing progress in so short a time, I am not belittling that. But there is way worse out there and you are NOT ready."

"We can be sir!" Roland jumped in this time as he saw the two glaring each other down, seemingly about to come to blows. "We can do it, we're…"

"Right," Tai turned his parental fury upon the young lad. "A shield-bearer with no shield…

"Half a shield!" Roland corrected, recalling the battered remains that he had stored in the shed yet not touched since arriving.

"Half a shield," Tai humored him. "A shield-bearer with half a shield and a huntress with one arm!"

"Two now!" Roland was getting heated; rising from his seat he advanced on Tai who did the same in turn until they were an inch apart. "We are improving every day…"

"SHE'S improving every day, Pyrrha too," Tai countered. "You've gotten flabby," he poked at Roland's stomach for emphasis. "Have you done any real training since arriving?"

"I've been busy!"

"I know you have!" His eyes betrayed his intensity; he knew full well what Roland had been busy helping with. "It doesn't matter if you let yourself go in the process."

"Well maybe I just need to get in some training!"

"And who would oversee your training? Zwei?"

"He's probably the most qualified, though If I could find a capable Huntsman I'd be back to form in no time!"

"H-hey," Yang had withdrawn towards the table at Roland's advance and started inching forward to be the voice of reason. Before she could move, a gentle hand fell on her shoulder.

"Best not Ms. Xiao Long," Oobleck whispered just low enough for her to hear. "This is an amazing occurrence to be witnessing firsthand. The first heated argument between a father and his daughter's boyfriend. Very rare to witness in the wild, we shouldn't startle them…they may charge."

Yang turned away, trying to hide the blush forming at his words.

"If I may add my opinion, you have been very brave," the green-haired doctor complimented her while the two continued arguing in the background. "I've known plenty who would not have bounced back as quickly as you…if at all."

"I'm…not brave, I just," Yang admitted with a pause as she glanced to Roland. "I just had a really good reason to not hesitate. I'm still scared by…all of this," she held up her new robotic arm, flexing the fingers as gently as she could out of fear of using too much strength again.

"Bravery is not the absence of fear," Professor Port explained. "But how to push past its presence. I admit, even I wrestle with that emotion rarely from time to time."

"He's afraid of mice," Oobleck quickly revealed.

"THEY BRING ONLY DISEASE AND FAMINE!"

"Well, maybe I'll just have to bust you into shape!" Tai yelled as the argument continued. "If I leave you be you're sure to find some way to muck it up!"

"Thank you!" Roland roared back despite no longer really arguing. "That would be much appreciated! I hope to not let you down!"

The two reached out, gripping the other's hands in a powerful shake while locking their eyes together. A silent agreement had been forged between them; Tai would train the young man and the others under his care while he would in turn protect one of the most important girls in his life on the day they would inevitably depart for the world at large.

"If you are determined," Tai at length returned his attention to his daughter. "You can do whatever you put your mind to…you are Yang Xiao Long, my Sunny Little Dragon."

"Dad!"

Roland did his best to hide the absolutely incorrigible smile that crossed his face at the reveal of Yang's childhood nickname.

 _His Sunny Dragon, my Sunflower…she's the Sunflower Dragon!_

 **Menagerie…**

"Drink up, it's good for you."

Esmerelda's grandmother had shuffled them through the crowds back to her home, a quaint house not far from the water's edge. Blake seemed to be in a rush to leave yet could not deny that after the display outside it would be best to lay low for a bit before heading back out. The older swan-faunus had presented a mug of thick white liquid in front of each of them. Sun and Esmerelda had taken hold of their own and started drinking as Blake eyed it suspiciously.

"What is…?"

"Coconut milk," Sun answered for her. He pulled away his cup to reveal a ridiculous white mustache and one of his patented disarming smiles.

"It's good," Esmerelda agreed. "I'm pretty sure it's all you ever served."

"I saved the good stuff for after you were off to bed. And since I have been remiss in my pleasantries, my name is Odette Mustra," she was referring to Sun specifically before returning her attention to Esmerelda. "Never thought I'd see Kali's little girl back here…or you. What brings you back home?"

Blake heard her parents talk of the Mustra family, that they had once been strong supporters of the White Fang yet fell out of the inner circles long before her time. She couldn't believe that a family acquaintance had kept such a secret from them. The lengths she must have gone to over the ten years Esmerelda lived on the island to keep her hidden must have been extreme.

"I…I wanted to make sure you were okay," Esmerelda seemed to stumble somewhat with the cold professional nature of Odette's personal question. "With everything happening since Beacon…"

"Oh now you know that doesn't affect us here," she pushed her granddaughter's concerns away. "With the CCT Towers down we barely heard about that until recently, the Grimm on the rest of the island have been stirring but no more than usual. Not that reception was very good here even when they worked. You didn't have to come all the way out here."

"But nana..."

"What have you been up to anyway since Beacon?" She interrupted quickly before Esmerelda could continue.

"I've...been helping out with the Grimm outbreak, fighting where I need to."

"Someone has a student fighting out there where armies and professionals should be? Whoever you fight alongside must be on hard times."

Esmerelda did not know how to reply.

"Odd family reunion," Sun whispered to Blake who simply nodded. It felt more like a business meeting.

Odette sighed at Esmerelda's silence, inhaling deep as if what she planned to say would be far harder. "It is nice to meet Esmerelda's friends, I don't think I've seen you since you were a little kitten," she half teased Blake much to her embarrassment. "Equal parts your mother and father no doubt. And…"

She looked over Sun, raising an eyebrow at his open shirt and laid back attitude.

"Sun Wukong…ma'am," he quickly added towards the end. "I've never been here."

"Clearly," she joked with a final glance at his abs and an accompanying chuckle. "If you two accompanied her here just to check on my old wings I'm afraid it will be a boring stay."

"We came separately," Blake finally spoke. "I…I just wanted to come home."

"I just sort of tagged along with them," Sun admitted, laying down his mug, only then noticing the pitcher was empty as he reached for a refill.

"Oh, I can…"

"I can get that," Esmerelda interrupted, snatching the jug from the center of the table. "Everything is in the same place right?"

"My routines have been unchanged since before I had your father!" She called out as the lancer of Team HERO disappeared into the next room over. "And they will persist long after your kids have developed their own!"

With Esmerelda gone, there was an awkward silence between the remaining three in the room. With empty glasses they could only twiddle their thumbs as they contemplated what to say.

"So…are you really Ezzy's grandmother?" Sun just blurted out as the question had been eating at his mind. Blake's jaw dropped open at the incredibly blunt question.

"Ezzy? What is it with kids these days shortening everything? You really do say whatever pops into your head don't you?" She remarked with a raised eyebrow before a childish grin crossed her wrinkled lips. "I like that. If you mean blood relation and the traditional sense of the word, yes I am very much her grandmother."

"But…if you're a faunus and she is a human…"

"Not just me, Esmerelda's parents, my son and daughter-in law, were faunus as well. He had the proudest set of wings you'd ever seen."

"Isn't that imposs…"

"My own beloved husband on the other hand…was as human as they come."

The room fell silent; the distant sound of clattering dishes from the next room the only sound in the house. Odette recalled the days back when she had met him, he'd been so charming each time he brought his ship into port to provide supplies and take on or let off passengers. It had been not even two decades after Menagerie was granted to the faunus and finding anyone willing to trade was tricky in those days. Yet he hadn't cared. Alas he had passed away of natural causes shortly after Esmerelda had been born.

 _At least he got to see his granddaughter._

Blake didn't know what to think, her ears shirking down. She had been a faunus living among humans ever since fleeing from Adam and the White Fang, yet Esmerelda had been a human living among the faunus. The similarity between their mutual deception for fear of the reactions of others was…unsettling.

"It's never been reported before," she clarified. "We were worried of course when I had her father, but that it could skip a generation is unheard of even in a mixed marriage. I was told the odds of what occurred were beyond astronomical from past experience. You've seen how faunus and human relations are out there, can you imagine looking at it through the other side of the window?"

"Wow," Sun continued. "That must have been rough."

"More for her than I," she admitted truthfully to her granddaughter's friends. "I cut ties with the White Fang after they voiced their…displeasure at my love-life choices. I only wish your parents had done the same since Sienna took over."

"Wait, what about my parents?" Blake's eyes widened at her remark made as a side note as if it were common knowledge.

"Well, your father may have stepped down, but a branch of the White Fang still remained on the island. He has regular reports with…"

"We have to get over there, NOW!" Blake stood up and rushed to the door.

"Hey, wait!" Sun scrambled after her without even waiting for Esmerelda who emerged from the kitchen, jug in hand at hearing the commotion.

"What did you say nana?" She knew what had been said, but wanted to hear it again.

"The Belladonnas have meetings with the White Fang Branch on the island. Reports of their protests worldwide, changes being implemented by the various kingdoms, even…"

Esmerelda stopped listening as she gathered her things to give chase after them; Odette huffed as her guests rushed out so quickly without a word muttering something about manners from the young.

 _Why?_ Esmerelda screamed internally. _Why did the General's Intel have to be right?_

 **Patch…**

Roland completed another push-up, sweat dripping from his brow as Tai walked past, eyeing the young man to ensure he wasn't cutting corners. A familiar corgi lounged lazily on his back adding to the difficulty, he was uncertain if it was part of Tai's training regimen or if the pup had simply grown bored and wanted to taunt him.

"Ten more then we move to sparring," Tai commanded as Roland followed his instructions with an exasperated yet dutiful groan.

They had been at it for days since Oobleck and Port's visit, laps, routines, sparring sessions all while Yang watched from the sidelines. Her arm was coming along and she was growing used to its strength every day. Until then, he would improve himself, fight, train and ensure the next time he faced Adam Taurus…he would not escape again.

 _Horatio would have been proud,_ he lamented sadly, remembering similar workout routines in the early mornings back at Beacon every morning. The memories created a surge of adrenaline allowing him to finish the pushups early.

"Keep the guard up but not too high," Tai instructed as he swung. Roland caught the attack but was pushed backwards, even pulling his punches Yang's father was incredibly strong which was only natural he supposed.

Roland was improving; he had to get back into shape beyond what he was before. No matter how long it took he was going to prove he had what it took to keep her safe. He could not help but chuckle in his head at what they would have to face that she herself could not handle and he would be there right at her side.

As he blocked a renewed punch, Tai stepped in, locking Roland's hand behind his head before flipping him clean over his shoulders to slam onto the ground. It did not take much effort to pin the defeated huntsman trainee.

"Bet you didn't see that coming."

"Are you kidding, back at Beacon Yang had me pinned at least three times a daaaaaaa," he tried to retort only for the older man to twist the arm more in retaliation, silencing him with a spike of pain.

A sudden explosion interrupted their verbal and physical spar. The door of the nearby shed blew open, releasing a cloud of dust and soot into the cool air. In the confusion, Roland was able to wiggle free. Pyrrha emerged from the plume of smoke coughing and waving her hands in an attempt to clear the air. The two men rushed over to ensure she was alright.

"Pyrrha! What was…?"

Tai's inquiry was cut short as the answer presented itself. In the young Spartan's hand was a longspear extending nine feet in height. The handle was a bright bronze coloration with spirals of white going up all the way to the blade, with a twist of her hands the length retracted to only about two feet in length. The head of the spear drew their attention as the tip seemed generally standard in a diamond-shape pattern made of red and bronze. Just beneath was a crescent moon made of a white-metal that had certainly once been from Jaune's armor. The double moon-shaped blade made in the likeness to the Arc-Emblem added twin prongs that almost made it akin to a trident and contained indentations on either side no doubt for dust crystal placement.

"Sorry," Pyrrha apologized upon realizing the mess she had made. She was covered in a thin layer of soot save for her eyes which had been protected by a pair of red goggles. The untouched circles around her lids were prominent as she removed them.

Behind her as the mist cleared, Roland spotted her armor which seemed to have additional plates and shoulder additions made of the same white-metal. Pyrrha pushed them out of sight before he could see more. Her shield Akoúo̱ was beside it, now wider than before with a surrounding layer of white though she kept the circular indentations to allow spear thrusts from cover. Lying alone beside the workbench he spotted the battered surviving half of his own bulwark.

 _I can't put it off any longer, I am sure Pyrrha won't mind assisting me with some repair and alterations._

"That's incredible Pyrrha!" Roland gushed at first sight of her new weapon. "I had no idea you were so skilled at weapon crafting!"

"I made all of mine, armor included," she confirmed.

"Did you…think of a good name for it?"

Pyrrha paused for a few moments before answering. "Vόnon If you wanted some help with yours…"

"Hey!"

Roland turned as he spotted Yang approaching from the house, his interest piquing higher than ever at realizing she had the left half of Ember Celica attached to her remaining wrist, the right half in hand.

"Think you're ready kiddo?" Tai asked at seeing the determination in her eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she nodded. "But it doesn't work anymore, no nerves to set it off," she flexed her robotic arm. "I can't fire it."

"What did you plan to…?" Roland started, but was interrupted as Yang chucked the weapon through the air. He barely caught it in time as the slow realization of her intentions became clear.

"Well, I always did say you needed something to compliment your shield didn't I?" She teased with a wink. "Put it on, we don't have long for you to get used to it. Ember Celica has her own art to master and you will HAVE to learn fast."

 **Menagerie…**

Esmerelda was panting as she finally caught up with the faunus pair. They had raced all the way through the streets towards the center of Kuo Kuana to the largest house as far as the eye could see. It was the home of the Chieftain of Menagerie symbolizing they were the heart of the people.

And apparently that was Blake's house. Sun's eyes were wide in shock that the woman he had met at Beacon and danced with was the closest thing to a princess he knew. She had wasted no time at the mention of the White Fang in her former home. Pushing past the trepidation and hesitation at being back for the first time in years, she had already sounded the intimidating knocker, signaling their presence.

It wasn't long before the door swung open; a woman with dark hair and cat ears quite similar to Blake's answered the door. She couldn't be considered old, yet the hint of wrinkles betrayed the onset of age. She wore a white dress beneath black hakama pants and matching cloth shoulders with gold trim. It was obvious who she was as she peeked out, eyes widening as they fell on Blake.

"Blake…" She started before the huntress of Team RWBY rushed forward, embracing her mother, thankful that she was okay. "Oh, my baby girl," she whispered while reciprocating the warm hug.

Sun could not help but smile, it was such a heartwarming scene.

"Are you and dad okay?" She backed away, looking her over for any sign of injury or danger. "What are the White Fang doing here?"

"Blake, slow down," her mother, Kali, tried to get a grasp on the situation. "You're scaring…"

"Dear, who is it?" A deep booming voice from the next room called out. "Please excuse me a moment."

Esmerelda and Sun looked on as a tall imposing faunus rounded the corner from within. He had more muscles than Sun and wore an open purple robe showing off his chest with a single armored shoulder and a buckle so large it could have served as armor for his stomach. Based on the black hair and yellow eyes they assumed correctly his identity as Blake's father.

His stern expression softened as he also spotted Blake still wrapped in her mother's arms. A smile stretched across his face.

"Blake?" He asked as if his eyes betrayed him.

"Dad," she smiled back, the urgency of their hurry almost forgotten before returning to her. "Is it true you are meeting with the White Fang?"

"Well of course, I may have stepped down as High Leader, but I still like to help however I can, is there something wrong?"

"You haven't heard?" Sun couldn't hold back any longer, unable to believe that the news hadn't reached them yet.

"Heard…what?"

 **Inside…**

Ghira and Kali Belladonna entered their living room, the former High Leader of the White Fang held a tense expression from the information given him by his daughter and her friends who followed behind. That White Fang had been at the attack on Beacon, killing anyone they met while releasing a new breed of mutated Grimm inside the school. He was heading to verify with the guests he had been meeting with all morning.

Kali was talking with Esmerelda as they walked, having been confused at her assertion of the surname Mustra. She had spent much time with her grandmother and knew of Esmerelda's birth yet had been in the dark as much as the others as to her being a human. The reason for her friend's overly secretive protection and lack of visits suddenly made sense though she was still hurt that even they had not been trusted with the information.

A pair of faunus were seated near a long wooden table, documents were scattered across its surface that they had been discussing before the interruption. The two were wearing white robes and red hoods denoting their affiliation with the Menagerie branch of the White Fang who wore no masks unlike those in Vale. One had holes cut in his hood to allow fox ears to poke through while the other had a long and fluffy fox tail.

"Your Grace," the one with the ears stood and bowed at the additional company. "I did not know we would be having guests. "Ms. Belladonna, it is good to see you returned to Menagerie."

"They have told me disturbing news," Ghira crossed his arms over his chest. "That White Fang members were complicit in the attack on Beacon and other assaults in Vale. "Why…was I not informed?"

The two brothers known as Corsac and Fennec glanced to each other awkwardly before returning their gaze to the towering man.

"We…were getting to that your Grace, you see Adam Taurus…"

"My daughter and her friends already told me of his involvement. That is information I should have been made aware as soon as it was known. We have been discussing rallies in Atlas all morning…why did you not begin with this update?!"

Sun, Blake and Esmerelda eyed the two White Fang representatives suspiciously, leaning forward threateningly with her father's words.

"We," Fennec started. "Did not wish to burden your Grace with the information until we had a counter plan to deal with the splinter group that formed in Vale under Mr. Taurus. They no longer operate under High Leader Khan. Since you stepped down, such information seemed…unnecessary for you to know."

"Unnecessary?" Blake stepped forward angrily baring her teeth. "They KILLED people! Adam took off Yang's arm!"

"And he nearly killed my friend," Esmerelda joined Blake, her eyes focused in venting rage at the two faunus for Roland's scars.

"However," Corsac stepped in to play off his brother. "If you do wish to aid in bringing these…aggressive insurgents to justice we would be more than happy to share our strategies at the next meeting." The brothers eyed her up and down, clearly noticing her lack of faunus features but she didn't care. Esmerelda wasn't a little girl in hiding anymore and wouldn't back down.

"His…extreme actions are regrettable, yet that is NOT the way of High Leader Khan. Some violence is required for great change, but this is no way for our message to be heard. He has tarnished our ideals with his actions."

Ghira relaxed somewhat, disarmed by their words yet far from trusting the men after withholding such information.

"We are done for today," he sighed at last. "We can discuss Adam Taurus another day, for now…I would like to spend time with my wife and daughter.

"Of course your Grace," the two bowed politely before making their way to the door. "It is good to see you return to Menagerie Blake…and you as well Ms. Mustra."

Esmerelda's blood turned to ice at their words but they were already halfway down the hall before any words of comeback popped into her head and by then it was too late.

 _How…did they recognize me?_

"Well…those guys were creepy," Sun remarked to try and break the tension, earning confused glances from Esmerelda and Blake with a stern, uncertain stare from the imposing Chieftain of Menagerie.

"Well," Kali finally raised a voice. "Let's put this business aside for now. It is so good to have you home. I have some tea on the stove, when you are ready we can hear how you've been all these years…"

 **Outside…**

The two brothers walked away from the Belladonna residence in complete silence waiting until they were certain that they could no longer be heard.

"An interesting development, wouldn't you say?" Fennec asked.

"Interesting indeed."

"Shall we inform Brother Adam?"

"We shall, and I am sure Brother Yuma would be most keen to learn of the identity of her traveling companions."

 **Mistral Countryside…**

"I will take first watch," Ember volunteered. They had been traveling over a day without rest; even Tyrian despite his utter devotion to Salem could not march endlessly. Since passing the nearby village, the two had realized Ruby's party had stopped briefly. They had nearly followed inside before locating fresh tracks of the party leading away, removing any need for it and allowed them to continue the pursuit.

"Ever the night watchman," the jittery fighter remarked. Ember had chosen to stand watch most of the days they were forced to rest and disappeared until morning. "Do you not need as much sleep as us mere mortals?"

"Not as much," the armored knight muttered. "I will scout further out, rest easy."

Tyrian seemed to take his request to heart as he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head like a pillow. Ember knew better, his traveling companion could hear a twig snap half a mile off. He may appear to have let his guard down but he had mastered vigilance even while at rest.

Ember ventured away from their camp, since departing Shion village they had been steadily catching up to the unaware huntsman and huntresses. It was evident they were in no great rush while Salem's hunters pushed themselves. The only reason Tyrian had even agreed to one final rest was due to how quickly they would overtake them at the current pace and it would be best to face them refreshed.

 _I thought I'd never get another chance._

Once appropriately far from the campsite, Ember ducked behind a tree, removing his helmet so his voice did not reverberate. Very gently, he reached into a pouch, producing one of the items Cinder had provided him during their final embrace at the keep. It was a small orb that fit in the palm of his hand. It appeared to be made of glass, but he knew better. It was the same that adorned the top of the Seer Grimm which Salem used to communicate over vast distances; how Cinder had procured a smaller version was a mystery to him.

With a sharp intake of breath, he rubbed the sphere the way she had previously shown him, staring into its depths to await a reply. He did not have to wait long, after only a few seconds the vision of beauty that was Cinder Fall appeared looking back at him.

"Hi," he started simply. "I missed you."

Cinder made gestures with her right hand. He could see the rings under her eye, it was clear she still could not sleep soundly. The young man had taken many days to learn the one-handed form of sign language Cinder was currently utilizing from Emerald. He watched every contour of her hand to ensure he understood what she was saying perfectly.

"No," he chuckled as she finished her question. "I have not killed Tyrian yet though he seems to be asking for it. We are on the trail of Ruby and the others now; we should overtake them shortly.

Cinder motioned again.

"Some bandits saw them pass through a destroyed village, matched her description perfectly. Would you believe they let them pass because they thought they looked intimidating from a distance?"

His Maiden almost seemed to smile but restrained herself before asking another question.

 _No need to mention the bandits further,_ he sighed. Tyrian had wished to have his fun with each and every member of that band; fortunately a few well-chosen words of delaying Salem's command had him on the road once more. Ember supplied the incentive to dissuade future acts from the group for fear he'd return with his traveling companion otherwise. They could think about the sins of their past as the broken bones healed slowly.

"At least four, maybe five from the tracks, I have a few ideas of who they might be. With any luck she will come quietly without a fight." She didn't even need to sign, the Fall Maiden simply glared at him as if to ask how naïve he could possibly be. "It's a chance," he asserted before she could raise a finger. "One I am willing to take, have you thought on my request yet?"

Cinder glanced away from the sphere, gritting her teeth.

"You…look lovely," Ember remarked, both telling the truth while changing the subject upon realizing she had not yet decided. He could not help but notice her hair was slowly yet surely growing back. Already it was almost down to her shoulders.

Cinder continued to look away, only acknowledging his statement with a subtle flattening of her hair and a nod.

"Wh-when I return and this is over, I can finally get around to that banquet I promised. Do you remember?"

 **Salem's Realm, months ago…**

"I know it hurts, but you have to eat," Horatio insisted. He offered Cinder another spoonful of soup, one of the few things she could keep down. Feeding normally fell into Emerald's jurisdiction since she had awoken, but Salem insisted on using her and Mercury for missions while Cinder was incapacitated.

If looks could kill Horatio would have been dead a dozen times over and then some. Cinder's remaining amber eye stared more than daggers into him. He and Emerald were rotating shifts caring for her and she was improving, slowly but surely. She was sitting up now which was an improvement though had almost no energy. The bandages on her face had been removed by Emerald before she left to let the skin breathe and it was obvious she was hiding it from him. The rest of her was covered in a black patient gown with an elastic sleeve pulled snugly onto the stump of her left arm covering the damage. Dr. Watts assured them that Salem and Merlot were working on a replacement. Horatio was quite surprised to hear after the defeat on the island he had entered Salem's service. His current location was a well-kept secret.

Cinder was still unable to speak other than whispered groans and even that caused her great pain. Horatio had a notepad and scroll on the nearby desk but she never used them, the only rationale he could think of was she didn't want to be seen fumbling for them with a single hand. He tried to stick to yes and no questions while relying on her blinks, one for yes, and two for no.

He blew on the spoon several more times before offering it to her. After a few tense moments she slurped it up, her face contorting in pain as she swallowed.

"Another?"

A single angry blink.

"See, I have been improving. The kitchens in this place are pretty decent. A bit more time and I'll have a feast ready when you are feeling better. Not just soup, oh no, somehow they get fish here." He blew on another spoonful, raising it to her lips. "I even found the special reserve, how do you feel about an old Mistral red? I remember you saying how fond you were of it."

Cinder slowly took the sip, her eye still burning into his.

"I'm sorry," he replied, his voice growing somber. "I know you hate this but just bear with me for now. If it will make you feel better you can break all the bones in my body and nurse ME back to health when you are feeling better."

Cinder smirked deviously at that suggestion. Horatio could only hope she was smiling at the nursing back to health part rather than the prospect of breaking all his bones.

"It'll be great, you won't have to rely on a peon like me anymore," he allowed himself a quick laugh. "You'll probably feel better getting out of those rags, maybe a nice hair trim…" Horatio reached over without thinking, brushing aside the hair that Cinder had meticulously molded to perfectly cover the left side of her face. He smiled serenely at the sight of seeing her entire face.

Cinder swung her hand; catching the tray he was holding before attempting to brush the hair back into place. Her swing was not very strong but it was unexpected, the bowl of soup flipped, sending its contents splashing against the stony floor. Horatio jumped to his feet, narrowly avoiding the bulk of the hot liquid.

"You don't have to be so stubborn!" He shouted louder than he should have in frustration, Cinder looked away and stared off into nothing, still trying to flatten the hair over her missing eye. "I'm sorry, you…you don't have to hide from me!" She refused to acknowledge him. "But, if you prefer Emerald she will be back in a few hours, I…I can take a walk. I need to get a towel first." He motioned towards the spilled soup. "Be right back."

Horatio wiped his hands on his pants as he walked out of the room without looking back. He was fuming inside, she was just so….so….

It had been over a month since the battle at Beacon, or so he thought, time was hard to gauge in Salem's Domain. He had been given no information other than the fact the school belonged to the Grimm. How many people had died? Did his team or friends make it out? He was sure they did, someone had to have. So many had fought and died there, and here he was, in the belly of the beast who had orchestrated the entire event.

 _Nothing I can do,_ he kept telling himself to no avail. _I could fight certainly, might even do some damage until Salem showed up, then that'd be the end of it._ The look of pure hatred on Jaune's face for Cinder remained locked in his mind and he couldn't blame him after her fight with Pyrrha. Despite all she had done, Horatio just couldn't hate her, it wasn't in him anymore.

Rounding a corner he nearly ran into someone else coming from the opposite path. The mountain of muscle that was Hazel Rainart blocked his path. Horatio had seen the intimidating man around the Keep but hadn't spoken with him yet.

"Has she recovered?" he asked in his usual deep gnarled voice, not even acknowledging their near collision.

"She's…improving," Horatio sighed as he retrieved a towel from the nearby closet, "her taste in my cooking notwithstanding."

Hazel raised an eyebrow, completely unaffected by his attempt at humor.

"Weather sure is funny here," he continued, trying to attempt small talk again. "I don't think I've seen a single cloud since my arrival."

 _Or the sun for that matter._

"The seasons have not visited here in a long time, time being what she needs now to heal," Hazel finally spoke after an awkward silence. "Be there when she needs it…or you will regret it later when there is none left." With that he walked around him, continuing down his previous path.

 _Is everyone who works for Salem an absolute dichotomy of expectations?_

Horatio made his way back to the room thinking over what Hazel had said. His face seemed so somber, it was doubtful he was serving Salem out of loyalty or believing in her cause of destruction. Perhaps he could talk to him later…

Horatio knocked twice before opening the door, looking around it hesitantly as there was no easy way for Cinder to warn him NOT to come in. She was still decent and sitting upright in the bed, the spilled soup slowly pooling out from where it had landed. Horatio approached the bed and knelt, dabbing up the mess.

"I…can try adding seasoning or something next time," he started to break the silence. "There has to be something in there that is mild on the throat, maybe a nice dash of sage or honey…"

Cinder's remaining arm snapped towards him, gripping just below the shoulder. Horatio glanced up in surprise, she looked miserable; all attempts to flatten her hair once more had failed. The mangled skin around her eye could now clearly be seen; her lid closed tight to hide that nothing now lay behind it. Horatio could even see that her left ear was shriveled, appearing more degraded than the right. His eyes instinctively followed the trail, realizing the scar tissue continued down the left side of her face, disappearing into her gown. The former huntsman in-training hadn't looked too closely when bandaging her arm and eye after the battle, there was so much blood covering her at the time. Despite Cinder's normally stoic nature, he could feel the vibrations through her arm.

She was trembling.

"Cinder I-," he whispered the beginning of his apology, leaning closer so that she did not have to reach so far. Once he was in range her arm jumped around his neck, dragging him in as she held him, her whole body was shaking.

Horatio kept his hands up for several seconds for fear of reprisal of any movement, but after a time realized his concern was unfounded. Tenderly he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tight. Cinder froze at his embrace but eventually relaxed, pressing her face deeper into his chest. How long had she been acting strong through the pain since regaining consciousness? Without Emerald, and to an extent Mercury, he doubted she trusted anyone else in Salem's Keep.

 _Despite all she's done, I just can't hate her, it's not like a few scars would change that fact. It was her defending my body that caused her to be so…maimed._ _I will make sure she NEVER regrets letting me in._

Horatio only squeezed tighter as her shakes slowly subsided, softly stroking her hair soothingly while whispering to her. They just held the embrace until a shocked Emerald eventually walked in on them hours later, the white towel discolored beneath the bed in the long forgotten puddle of soup.

 **Present Day…**

"Has…everything been okay while I've been gone?" Ember asked, voicing his greatest concern at having been sent away. Cinder nodded, but the slight glance away betrayed her deceit. "What has Salem been doing?" He squeezed his free hand tight in frustration out of sight of the sphere. Cinder motioned again, spelling out a single word.

'Training'

 _I need to get back as quickly as possible._

"I'll be coming home soon, I swear," he assured her. "Just don't let her change you again." Gently he kissed his middle and forefinger, pressing them up against the glass sphere in his hand. For the first time since he could recall, she reciprocated the gesture as her image faded and the orb became clear again.

 _I'll give Tyrian a few hours then we head out again. If he is as dedicated as he acts, he won't need much sleep._

 **The hunters near their prey, families are reunited in Menagerie as souls are tempered at Patch. The tale of our divided heroes continues next time. As always, I hope you Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	44. Tipping Towards Oblivion

**deathwing17: I am glad you like it. Indeed, hatred can go both ways regardless of who started it.**

 **Amelia: Indeed she has, he is the only one she trusts to show that side of herself to and no one else. It was referring to how cold and heartless she was when he met her at Beacon…he doesn't want her to be dragged back into that way of thinking ever again.**

 **Constipated Genius: I thought the same about Yang's arm, it may be easier to attach/detach it later…but I couldn't imagine connecting the nerves to the stump could have been easy. I hope Roland knows Eye of the Tiger xD. That was my idea :D A concerned and overprotective but loving and well-meaning grandmother. And we'll learn about her and Yuma soon in due time…As always I hope to never disappoint!**

 **bookwrym321: She would have…if not for the fact she knows how that would make Roland feel terrible, and she never wants to give him a reason to offer his arm ever again. Sun really does, I could practically hear his actual voice in that scene, he tends to ask the questions that just pop into his head lol. I am sure Ember would not mind trying, traveling with Tyrian for so long can be grating. I know what you mean about the split story arcs (especially while writing XD ), not to worry as I fully plan to never leave anyone without a mention at least once every other chapter at the latest.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Perhaps…Corsac and Fennec seemed to recognize her to an extent, we shall have to wait and see XD. Thank you again for your kind words.**

 **And with that…onto the show!**

"I'm sorry!" Ruby groaned. "I've never been so far from home…I had no idea how far Haven would be!"

Jaune and Ren had been surprised to learn that apparently, the young huntress had assumed a trip to Haven would only take two to three weeks to complete. As it stood, they were thankful for restocking food and supplies before heading out from the last village.

Nora was not far ahead of the group looking around, Olivia was noticeably absent as she had been since their departure from the village. She trailed far behind under the excuse of covering their backs while also using her rifle to scout the surrounding area. Ren had not told anyone of Hildie or her outburst back at the inn and was certain she was keeping distance for their own safety.

 _To think she'd been hiding something like that,_ he mused as they walked onward as they had day after day. The member team JNPR had been wracking his brain on how he could help but was coming up short. Nowhere in his studies had he ever heard of a semblance forming a second consciousness from the original beyond simple insanity. He pushed that possibility aside after recalling what he had seen…a mental condition wouldn't do THAT to someone's eyes. _And that it would happen now, Nora is already on edge with coming back to…_

"Village up ahead," they heard Olivia's voice crackle over their short-ranged scroll channels.

"Strange," Jaune looked over their map again. "We shouldn't be coming across another one for a few days."

"I don't see anyone," their far-off sniper clarified. "It's just…empty."

They were upon the walls of the unknown village soon enough, it was just as Olivia had said. There was no one present, no bodies or signs of damage anywhere. On the contrary, most of the buildings looked to not having been finished yet, scaffolds and other support structures still present though slowly giving way under the passage of time. The wood was rotting while nature had started to reclaim it, vines and other assorted plant life covered the area.

"It looks like the town was abandoned," Ren theorized after the team had gone through the immediate area. Even Olivia had caught up though had a larger personal bubble than before.

"No people, supplies or any sign that this place has been inhabited in a long time," she sighed. "Like a ghost town."

 _ **Not afraid of ghosts are you?**_

"Hey!" Nora called out at length. "I think I found something!"

The rest of RNJRR rushed over as the pink Valkyrie brushed a cluster of bushes from a tall sign with large letters carved into.

"Oniyuri? Never heard of it."

"Me neither, I thought I knew all the villages around here," Jaune scratched his head.

"It's not on the map," Olivia looked it over. She saw numerous villages and town dotted around the area but none in their immediate vicinity.

"I've heard of it," Ren admitted after a moment of silence. Everyone turned to give him their undivided attention at an answer to the mystery of the empty village. "You might think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn…if it had never completed."

A chill ran through everyone present at the reminder of Mountain Glenn, of the settlement slowly but surely overrun…resulting in nothing but ruins left behind of the ferocity and seemingly unassailable nature of the Grimm.

"Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with how the kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pooled their resources together to build their own city with their own laws hoping it would one day become a kingdom. I know my parents did, they spared no expense, state of the art defenses, barriers. They even hired the valedictorian from Haven that year as a full-time huntsman to protect from the Grimm."

"The Grimm?" Olivia asked at Hildie's prodding. It was the same answer everywhere; she didn't even need to wait for Ren's nod of confirmation.

"And it wasn't just any one…" Ren's fingers tightened into a fist at the memory of his childhood.

"One Grimm?" Ruby sounded shocked. Grimm were known for their ferocity in numbers, other than the Dragon at Beacon she couldn't imagine a single creature taking out a city of this size. Even Goliaths had countermeasures to prevent them from rampaging.

"What…could do that?" Olivia stuttered.

 _ **I'd sure love to meet THAT specimen…must put up QUITE the fight. Dibs on the reigns of we find it.**_ Olivia punched her head again unnoticed by the others.

"You don't want to know," Ren answered ominously. "Be glad it is no longer around."

"M-maybe we should get out of here," Jaune asserted. "Best to keep moving if there are no supplies here."

The group was in complete agreement, between Ren's story and the eerie emptiness of unfinished buildings no one wanted to remain even a night. Ruby was the last to leave, almost able to sense the echo of sorrow left behind many years past. They were in such a hurry that none, not even Ren or Nora noticed a terrifyingly familiar giant hoof print around the corner; it was far fresher than the one he saw in Shion…

 **Atlas…**

The hall was packed, every seat filled for the event set to start. As always, her father had made sure to summon every person worth knowing in the Atlas business world. They were all talking amongst themselves as they awaited the concert to begin. The young heiress stood just offstage prepared to head out on her cue.

"On in fifteen Ms. Schnee," A passing stagehand alerted her before moving on to the next task at hand without even awaiting a reply. She nodded her understanding but doubted he saw it.

Weiss smiled as was expected, the perfect daughter to the Schnee family who was the envy of every woman in the world. At least until she was certain no one was watching, in which case the smile quickly vanished to be replaced by a sigh.

 _It's to help Beacon and Vale,_ she kept telling herself. Her father could have hired anyone he wanted to sing, he was showing her off again. She enjoyed singing, but not in this setting. _If this can raise enough money to help…then it's worth it._

"You have naught to worry about Weiss, your vocal talents are well known."

Weiss turned to see a familiar disarming smile; Penny was half obscured behind a drape glancing as if to ensure she was not spotted.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss whispered as she got closer. "No one is allowed backstage except…"

"Your last practice with me seemed several decibels off from your previous attempts," she explained in her usual way. "That led me to conclude there was upwards of a 90% probability that you needed a friend to talk to."

"Thanks Penny," Weiss' smile returned. "I just," she paused, uncertain of how much she should say, "didn't think I'd be doing this again so soon."

"But you were singing at Beacon," Penny asserted, clearly misunderstanding her words. "I recall everyone loving your performance at the Vytal Festival."

"Not singing Penny," she clarified. "Singing here, in Atlas, it just…doesn't feel right. It hasn't in a long time."

She thought back to after her mother and father had their falling out, never occupying the same balcony after her tenth birthday. It had drained all the enjoyment from it yet at the same time was one of the few activities she had enjoyed, at least, before becoming part of Team RWBY. It took all she had to hold her composure at the idea that she'd likely never see them again.

"Then, why do it?" She asked with her innocent smile never faltering.

 _Because you don't say no to father?_ Just thinking that twisted knots into her stomach.

"For the fundraiser," was the excuse she gave the young girl. "To help everyone after that suffered from what happened at Beacon."

Penny looked upwards as if deep in thought before replying. "If you are not fond of this particular method of aid, you could choose another."

"I…can't," Weiss admitted. "Father…"

"I used to think that I too could not do as I wished," Penny interrupted uncharacteristically, her face the slightest more serious than Weiss had ever thought to see. "Unkind words were said that I was to be used as others wanted, that my say in it was unnecessary."

Weiss listened intently to her words, for the first time realizing how eerily similar their circumstances were.

"Father meant well, but wanted me to stay away from others out of worry how they would react. Ruby showed me otherwise, that not everyone thinks that way about someone just because of where they came from. I know we did not speak much before…but I could tell Ruby's choice in friends was not misplaced."

Weiss looked away, hiding the blush forming on her face at her words. Penny was always too kind though she made Weiss feel even guiltier at having left Patch without saying goodbye.

"Ruby…and Cam of course," Penny fidgeted her feet slightly as if actually embarrassed.

"Cam?" Weiss felt bad she had not considered where he'd been since the fall. "How is…"

"He is doing QUITE well; General Ironwood made him his personal pilot as thanks for ensuring my safety in the battle and for his impressive display in the Galinda. Regrettably, he has been chauffeuring the General to his various appointments."

"Are…you two still…?" Weiss could not resist asking.

"Oh we are still going quite steadily. He assured me that my current bodily composition has no bearing on our emotional bond. Though the General still watches him closely, I fear he may have threatened him in my absence on several occasions."

Weiss allowed a chuckle before standing just a little straighter than before. "Thanks Penny, I needed that."

"Also, before you go out there…I believe your hair is off-centered."

Weiss gasped, looking in a nearby stage mirror to see how she could have gotten it wrong only to be met with confusion. Her ponytail was aligned perfectly straight as her father had insisted, she could not find the slightest fault with it.

"Is it not normally off to the side?" Penny asked with a tilt of her head for emphasis. "It doesn't seem like you otherwise."

Weiss just stared at the reflection looking back at her, Penny was right, it looked…off. With a tug of the braid she let her long hair fall down her back, breathing in deep with a determined look that had been sorely missing.

"Will you help me fix that mistake?" Penny's eyes lit up at the offer as she half-teleported behind Weiss, hair already being pulled together at the proper angle.

"Of course, I attempted a ponytail last month but apparently it was not up to military standards. I can have yours completed with 99.3% repeating accuracy to how it was back at Beacon with time to spare before you begin…"

 **Oniyuri…**

Ren held his hand up, commanding the group to stop. Closing his eyes he focused his senses, certain that he had felt something. Confirming his suspicions, he slowly drew his pistols, the rest of Team RNJRR understanding and readying their own weapons.

"Behind…" the huntsman in training started, but his warning was pointless. In an instant someone moving faster than they'd ever seen bounded over the building behind them. He slid and landed several feet in front of them drawing his strange weapons. He was tall with brown hair tied into a single long braid and was armed with large wrist blades attached to bracers on each arm grinning at the team in such a way that a chill ran down their spines.

Without a word he charged towards Ruby, letting out quick sets of cackles as he ran.

Ren was the first to jump in his path, firing his guns. The stranger blocked each shot, easily parrying his attempts to slash him upon reaching melee range. With a single powerful kick he sent Ren flying and continued his pace towards Ruby.

Jaune and Nora flanked him from each side, the blonde knight ensuring he got in front before he reached her. He slashed but the man was faster, in an instant Jaune found him literally clinging to his shield shoving his face uncomfortably close to his own.

"Ooooooo," he squeaked, his face locked in an expression of intense curiosity as he looked into the Jaune's eyes.

Olivia fired a round towards him but despite his fixation on Jaune the attacker had the self-awareness to jump away in time, kicking into his shield so hard Jaune staggered backwards. Nora charged where he was about to land and swung her hammer. Once more he easily evaded, stepping on top of the head in mockery of her skills. Before Nora could think of a next move he leapt off gracefully, landing several yards from the group with a smug look of utter satisfaction on his face.

"Who are you!?" Ren shouted.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Jaune insisted, the group taking up a defensive posture now that they had breathing room.

"Who I am matters not to you," he replied, pointing at Ren. "Or you," this one was directed at Nora. His look fell on Olivia next, winking at her in a way that made her skin crawl. "Oohoo, I LOVE your eyes, how ravishing!"

Olivia felt her face instinctually, utterly certain her eyes were their normal color, however the unsettling foe clearly saw different.

Lastly, he smiled sinisterly at Jaune again. "Well…you DO interest me." The armored young man took a hesitant step backwards. "No," he continued at length. "I only matter…to you."

He pointed straight at Ruby Rose.

"Me?" She asked, a look of complete bewilderment on her face.

The attacker started to laugh which quickly evolved into full blown hysterical cackles. "You…you haven't the slightest clue do you? Oh how EXCITING this must be!"

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, her cute tone gone, a look of sheer hatred for the man burning on her face.

"Oh, the rose has thorns!" He replied, putting his hand on his chest sarcastically, acting as if her behavior was unjustified. "My little flower, I am here to whisk you away with me!" He held out his arms dramatically as if performing theatre.

"You don't look like much of a Prince Charming," Olivia remarked, stepping in front of Ruby.

"And what if she doesn't WANT to go with you?" Nora asked, stepping between Ruby and the assailant.

"Well…I'll take her."

"We're NOT going to let you do that," Jaune reinforced, raising his shield. At this point everyone was now between Ruby and the strange man.

The attacker closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before replying.

"Gooood."

He launched himself at Jaune's shield again. A moment before he would have impacted, he suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind him with his wrist blades raised over his head.

"JAUNE!" Ren called out, firing his pistols. With how close they were he was forced to hit Jaune with several rounds but they bounced off his shield. The rest were deflected expertly by the attacker.

Olivia converted her rifle's barrel into its mace form, igniting the head with fire dust and charged. She opened fire with the remainder of her now mid-range weapon, as he dodged sideways as she suspected she brought the mace down.

The man saw it coming, spinning out of the way so that it smashed into the ground harmlessly. Nora swung her hammer down but he managed to parry it with a single blade, knocking her to the side. Ruby activated her semblance, blasting past him in hopes of drawing his attention but the assailant saw through her. Jumping into the air, he roundhouse kicked just as she passed, sending Ruby tumbling back to the ground.

Nora dug into her belt, retrieving one of the dust injectors she now carried courtesy of Ezzy's box of Atlas goodies. With a huff she jabbed it into her bare leg. A surge of lightning lit up her skeleton, a smile locked on her face, she felt invincible as the power surged through her.

As the strange man parried another of Olivia's swings with a kick and backhanded Ren, Nora appeared behind him, raising the hammer over her head she brought it down with a deafening blow. The team was forced to brace themselves as the shockwave struck them, a quick static of electricity following it. They had never seen Nora pull off such a swing, it put her past strength to shame.

As the dust settled their hearts sunk, the strange man was still standing strong, Nora vying against him but he appeared to be holding. Her hammer had been blocked by an immense stinger attached to a tail protruding from his lower back. Despite her best effort it was not budging.

"Surprise!" He cried, slapping her in the side with his tail and sending her flying. With a graceful backflip he threw off the brown overcoat he had been wearing and stood triumphantly atop the destroyed remains of a nearby fountain.

"He's…a faunus?" Olivia remarked, absolutely confused how he had hidden it the entire fight.

"What is this about?" Ruby asked, absolutely frustrated at the situation. "The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?"

"Plastic soldiers and pawns!" He exclaimed, acting disgusted that he was being mentioned in the same sentence. "My heart and body belong only to our Goddess!" He threw his arms up theatrically as if in thanks.

Ruby angrily muttered what everyone was thinking. "Cinder…"

The faunus laughed again. "Only in her WILDEST dreams, though I suppose she would be HIS Goddess." He pointed behind them, causing all to turn at who he was referring.

A new man emerged from around a nearby building. He looked like a knight from the old tales; armored from head to toe with a winged helmet obscuring his face. A red cloak billowed behind him in the breeze. Everyone noticed the emblem burned into his chest, a heart formed from twin slippers pressed together…Cinder's calling card.

What drew their attention more was the weapon slung diagonally across his back. It looked like a lance but based on the intricate design and mechanical ports scattered across the surface it was obviously more than that. A large metal plate was present at the handle no doubt some sort of miniature shield or a large handguard. He did not have it drawn.

"You should not have run ahead Tyrian," the newcomer chastised, his voice reverberating in his helm. "We were to meet with them together."

"I had things WELL in hand little Ember," Tyrian sneered. "If you wish to prevent their escape you may do so. This will not take long."

"There may be no need," the knight remarked, holding out his equally armored hand to Ruby. "Her Grace and the Autumn Maiden, Lady Cinder Fall, have requested your presence Ms. Rose. You will not find her at Haven. If you agree to see her, I swear on my life that no harm will come to you or your friends."

Tyrian groaned behind them, clearly he did not agree with the arrangement.

"And what does she want with me?" Ruby asked defensively. Team RNJRR split their focus. Jaune, Ren and Olivia targeted the newcomer while Ruby and Nora remained focused on the scorpion-faunus.

"I did not question my lady's wishes," he replied tactfully. "But I believe she requests your presence in regards to your actions atop Beacon tower. If you desire for all to end without conflict, I BEG of you to acquiesce and come with us."

Ruby's eyes widened in anxiety at the memory of that night, her look was noticed by her team who stepped up.

"Not happening," Olivia answered for her, her weapon reconverted to its rifle form as she took aim. "We have no reason to trust anything Cinder has to say, or anyone associated with her!"

"If you could reconsider…"

"N-no," Ruby shirked back, her hesitation to fight still weighing down on her.

"The little flower wilts before the embers," Tyrian giggled poetically. "If you will not fulfill YOUR goddess' command, then I shall fulfill mine!"

"Tyrian…" Ember threatened, but it was too late as the faunus lunged for his prey.

Olivia reacted, firing a round which clanged off Ember's helmet, the chance for a peaceful settlement burned to ash.

"That is…most regrettable," he lamented, drawing the lance from his back. Surprisingly his voice sounded truly sorrowful that they would have to fight.

Olivia was quite confused, the two were clearly working together yet between the maniacal obsessions of the scorpion-Faunus versus the calm polite demeanor of the knight they could not have been more different.

The knight aimed the lance at Jaune who realized too late the barrel opening beneath the tip. A small dust-infused cannonball erupted from it, colliding with his shield; the resulting explosion sent him flying through a nearby wall. Ren and Olivia strafed to each side unloading their arsenal into Cinder's knight. Their rounds impacted his armor with seemingly no effect; he was not even staggering at their shots. Running forward he thrust the lance towards Ren who barely had time to parry it with his pistol-blades, cartwheeling over and kicking him in the winged helmet to equally little effect. The knight spun; catching the mid-air ninja in the chest and sending him crumpling in the distance as his aura failed at the full force of his own attacks which was turned against him.

Simultaneously, Tyrian battled Ruby and Nora, dodging the pink warrior's hammer with ease. Ruby hopped back, her eyes wide at the prospect of facing a humanoid opponent again; she could only hold Crescent Rose up in defense. After an especially skillful dodge of Nora's swings, Tyrian balanced on one hand and spun to parry her scythe, kicking Ruby with all his might in the gut with both feet. Her aura collapsed from the pressure as she was sent flying.

Nora tried to help but he spun around, bouncing over her hammer and slashing her across the chest three times. Her aura sputtered weakly but did not yet collapse.

Across the field, Ember swung his lance, Olivia barely ducking beneath it. He brought it over his head and slammed it down towards her. Before it could impact an immense sword came out of nowhere, knocking it aside as a shape blasted past him. Reflexively Ember pulled back, leaping away to a safe distance.

No longer caring about Nora, Tyrian chased after Ruby who was still airborne from his kick, catching up to her before she finally fell to the ground. Sneering in triumph, he raised his tail, jabbing it towards her as his eyes glowed a sickly purple.

The shape that had spooked Ember dashed between them, an instant before the stinger would have connected with Ruby it stopped, blocked by the new combatant.

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby smiled upon recognizing the newcomer to the fight.

 **Mistral Farm…**

"What were you thinking?" Oscar's aunt chastised as she tended to his admittedly minor injuries from the attack. She had caught Oscar sneaking into the house in search of medical supplies and forced him to tell the whole truth excluding the mention of voices in his head.

"It was just one Grimm auntie…"

"One is all it takes!" She pressed the cotton ball into his injury just a smidge harder than was necessary for emphasis. "That's what huntsmen are for! I want you to SWEAR to me you won't do that again!"

"Then what good am I?" Oscar fired back, his adrenaline still pumping from the near-death experience. "I wake up, tend the crops, eat and go to sleep. If that is all I can do then what…"

His aunt leaned forward, wrapping her arms tight around her nephew squeezing tightly as if he was in danger of getting away from her.

"I promised my sister I would take care of you," she whispered so low he barely made out her words. "If anything would happen to you…"

Oscar froze at her words; he knew of course she loved him ever since she'd take him into her home, but not like this. She'd always been caring but strict, always making sure he did what he was told and finished his chores in time. Sure, she oft threatened no food if he slacked off but had never once followed through with it.

"I-I'd be fine," he stammered out, unsure how to process her tender words. "You don't have to worry about me every second. I'm fourteen after all…"

"You're ONLY fourteen," she corrected. "Please…just promise me you'll be more careful, you can tell me if something like this happens again.

 _ **You can't make that promise.**_

Oscar tried to ignore the voice that wouldn't stop talking to him. He looked into his aunt's begging eyes; she wanted him to say it more than anything.

"I…I promise to be as safe as I can auntie." He could have sworn her heard a heavy sigh in his head as she nodded her head in appreciation.

"See," she sniffed back a little bit. "That wasn't so bad, now…go wash up for dinner. I am sure you are filthy after your little adventure. I want to see clean hands."

Oscar soon found himself in the barn rinsing his hands in a basin of water, leather gloves discarded nearby.

 _ **Oscar…**_

"I've decided you are not real, so you might as well give up."

 _ **I understand how you're feeling,**_ the voice that had introduced itself as Professor Ozpin continued regardless. _**I went through the same panic and confusion the first time this happened…and the second.**_

Oscar splashed a few extra handfuls of water into his face hoping that would alleviate the voice; perhaps snap him out of whatever he was going through.

"I'm just stressed out from the battle," he told himself and the voice. "That is all, once I calm down…"

 _ **I can assure you I am quite real, though you are perfectly sane."**_

"I'm talking to a voice in my head!" Oscar asserted despite his previous statements.

 _ **I didn't say you were normal…I said you were sane, quite a significant difference between…**_

"SHUT UP!" Oscar called out. It sounded so calm almost like it was acting smug and poking fun at the situation he found himself in. "This isn't funny!"

 _ **That was never my intention and I apologize, we are in complete agreement on that statement Mr. Pine. I wish this wasn't the case, that you had to be chosen but…as I tried to tell you on the way back, our aura…our souls are combined.**_

"I'm done listening," Oscar asserted once more, heading to the door to leave.

 _ **Have you ever been to Haven?**_ Ozpin asked, causing Oscar to pause as he mentioned the Huntsman Academy. He had said before they should go there but he'd ignored it. It appeared he hadn't given up.

"I told you I'm not going…"

 _ **Do you think you could describe the Headmaster's office? Try.**_

"No," Oscar tried to resist again. "I've never seen it, I'd have no idea of…the autumn color, the mahogany desk with…a table and tea set for guests that I…I gave him?" He hadn't tried to, but the moment the question of the office was brought up the image had flashed in his mind as if he'd seen it a hundred times. "Wh-why would I say that?"

 _ **Because I helped build that school and the tea set was a gift for the man running it now. You can't very well be crazy if the information in your head is accurate that you couldn't possibly have known otherwise…right?**_

Oscar couldn't believe it was happening, maybe…just maybe the voice was telling the truth. How could he know that otherwise? It was so detailed, so…

 _ **If you don't believe me you can look it up, if I recall your aunt has several books on Haven downstairs. I'm sure you could find a picture in one of them.**_

Oscar relaxed, almost relieved. How ironic Ozpin had just revealed to him the logical explanation. His aunt had always been enamored with the idea of dashing huntsmen and knights riding to the aid of princesses locked in towers since she was little. She'd bored him to sleep with those books and where huntsmen were trained since he was small enough to remember.

"Of course," he sighed. "I must have seen it in a picture once. That is it."

 _ **Oscar…**_ he started, he could already tell by its tone what it was going to say.

"STOP TALKING TO ME!" He screamed, jumping to his feet in an instant and silencing this Ozpin if only for a moment.

 _ **I would if that were an option,**_ Ozpin finally started sounding truly regretful. _**But I have a great responsibility on my shoulders…and so do you now. This would be your opportunity.**_

"Opportunity for what?" Oscar had slumped back against the wall, seemingly no way to escape the voice.

 _ **To do something bigger than this, I know for a fact you didn't want to stay a stable hand your whole life.**_

Oscar didn't like the sound of that, how could he know that? He had never even shared that fleeting dream with his aunt out of fear she'd come down hard on it to dissuade him from leaving. If this thing in his mind wasn't just his imagination or a loosening grip on sanity…then that meant…

"You just read my thoughts?"

 _ **Well…they are OUR thoughts now…**_

Oscar was horrified, this…entity seemed to be able to just know his every thought yet he couldn't tell anything about it. Certainly, he had seen the image of the Haven Academy Headmaster's office, yet only after it seemed to allow him to. Other than that, his incorporeal squatter was a mystery. He gripped his head in frustration at no other way to deal with him.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He screamed, slamming his skull into the barn door.

Silence, blessed silence as he heard no more of the strange voice that had accompanied him since the attack. With a final sigh, the young farmer dried his hands to prepare for supper. He did not hear the voice; however as he left a single distant thought barely a whisper passed through his mind.

 _ **I wish I could…**_

 **Atlas…**

The concert had gone off beautifully; the young heiress hit every note, enunciated each word and exemplified the meaning behind the song. Mirror, Mirror, Weiss had written it herself and the lyrics spoke to her, not that Whitley or anyone in the room truly understood she imagined. As usual, her father and Whitley were located in the balcony of highest prominence; she didn't know which one her mother had selected to use to keep her distance from him.

The events quickly moved to the after party and exhibition where the true profits of the evening might be had. Artwork was being auctioned off with bidding to start after the many rounds of drinks Jacques would have for his business partners. From the look of it he had called in every single one he had. With so many present, he hadn't even chastised her for the adjusted ponytail.

Weiss found herself where she was always required to be at such stages of the events, at her father's side with Whitley opposite her. "Showing familial unity," he called it without taking into account he hadn't been seen by her mother's side at one since she was ten. His definition of family seemed highly subjective…if it meant anything to him at all. Klein had passed by several times, more than was necessary for his duties as head butler. Each time she saw him it help alleviate her anxiety if only a little.

He was currently in the middle of another discussion on the economic disparity between Mantle and Atlas, humans and faunus that would as usual go nowhere due to the arguments being "invalid." Weiss was barely finding a way to stand the evening as nothing but a glorified doll for Jacques to show off.

And then she saw it, the centerpiece of the exhibition, an impressive portrait done of Beacon Academy before the fall. The towers stood tall and bright just like the first day she'd stepped off the bullhead. She hadn't appreciated them at the time but had grown attached over time, a fact she hadn't realized until she was back in Atlas. Without thinking, she turned to approach the painting only for the familiar hand of Jacques to seize her wrist suddenly without even turning from his business partners.

"Where are you going?" He asked sternly, unwilling for her to be anywhere else except adding to his image.

"I'm…" she hesitated, he'd never let her leave just to admire the painting, he'd consider it a superfluous reason. "Just a little thirsty."

"Sweetheart," his features softened somewhat as if he had thought she'd a more selfish reason. "We have people for that."

"No," Weiss pulled his hand down as he signaled to Klein to bring her something. "I can get it; I'll be right back I promise."

Jacques just eyed her suspiciously as if her desire for space was a nefarious plot to belittle or humiliate him. After several tense seconds, he finally turned away to continue the pointless conversation behind him. Weiss ducked out as soon as his eyes were off her, making for the painting.

She recognized it from when she was little, a portrait of all four academies once hung in one of the side room. Her mother had been a fan of the obscure artist, after Willow and Jacques' falling out he had them all taken down and sold.

 _He probably didn't even realize it was the same painting,_ she thought as her eyes fell on the signature at the bottom.

"Mariemaia."

"It's beautiful," she heard a young man remark to her side. "You two match."

Weiss sighed; the source of the compliment was a young man in a red and black suit without the jacket that likely cost a fortune. He had a suave smile and slicked blue hair as he attempted to draw her attention. She had seen the look a hundred times before; he wasn't seeing her…he was seeing her name.

"Yes, it is a lovely painting," she replied flatly, her attention remaining off him.

"So…" he continued after several seconds of awkward silence. "That was my attempt at breaking the ice…how am I doing so far?"

"You are leaving a lot to be desired," Weiss answered bluntly.

"Well, I've always appreciated honesty. The name is Henry, Henry Marigold." He extended a hand in greeting.

Upon realizing he wasn't going away, she extended her hand with a sigh, placing it in his as limply as she could while still maintaining the expected level of politeness. "Weiss Schnee."

"I know! I saw your performance…obviously," he replied struggling for words. "It was wonderful! And I promise I'm not just saying that because you're pretty."

 _Just keep on digging. Neptune was just as bad but at least he wasn't motivated by my status…and had the wherewithal to know that about himself._ She continued to focus on the painting, trying to understand why her mother loved the style so much. She had to admit the details were spot on despite the fact it had to have been painted ten years ago at least.

"So…you thinking about buying it?" Henry asked at noticing her intense stare.

 _Buy back my own painting? That'd be ironic; if mother still cared about anything outside the bottle I may have considered it._

"No, I don't think so."

"Yea…kind of pricey for a painting."

"It's to raise money," Weiss kept replying to him despite her desire for him to leave. It seemed he just made her more and more frustrated with each word he spoke.

"Oh really, for what?"

"For…what?" He had attended the concert, clearly having at least received the invitations, the publicity, EVERYTHING detailing why it was so important, yet had no idea what it was even for? Weiss showed her first emotion since he had come over…utter revulsion which went unnoticed by him.

"I'll admit," Henry stayed true to his assertion of honesty if nothing else. "I only come to these for the food and free drinks." As if in emphasis, he reached over and took a glass from a passing sever while half downing it in one sip. "That and the extraordinary company," he added as if to cover himself. "So what, is it another Mantle Fundraiser or something?" He was so full of himself he didn't notice Weiss silently boiling at his words. She inhaled deep in anger, no longer able to stand the sight of him.

"Funny, and here I thought everyone coming to this part was supposed to be educated," a deep smooth voice remarked from the side before she could demand his removal from the room. Weiss couldn't believe her ears and soon her eyes followed as she recognized who had just stepped in to keep her from throwing Henry out.

"Flynt?"

Flynt Coal stood before her wearing a fancier version of the suit and tie he donned at the Vytal Festival albeit with the shirt tucked in and the jacket. He looked much more professional than he often liked to dress yet still had his black shades on.

"Excuse me?" Henry Marigold asked, clearly disbelieving of what he'd just heard.

"Well," Flynt stepped closer while motioning towards the painting. "You claimed you have no idea what this event was put together for, the entire purpose behind it, when it is literally written right in front of you."

In front of the painting was a lone sign with the words "SHOW THE WORLD WE CARE: All proceeds go to the Kingdom of Vale" in large, hard to miss letters.

"You might have had one too many," Flynt motioned towards the half-empty glass in his hand. "If I were you I'd want to step off before you make an even bigger fool of yourself in front of your hostess…for goodness sake."

Henry Marigold was fuming but dare not make a scene as it wouldn't be proper. With a final huff he stormed off looking for the food tray and another stronger drink. Weiss turned to the one person she never expected to see.

"Flynt, what are you doing here?"

"Well Schne…Weiss," the trumpet player corrected as he extended his hand in greeting similar to Henry. Weiss took it and squeezed, not minding in the slightest when he leaned forward to kiss the back of it. She knew full well how much the young man hated her name, he was seeing her and nothing else. "My dad was able to get our shop back off the ground, having a son known for fighting at the Fall of Beacon certainly helped."

"But, what if…"

"The best part, with the dust embargo General Ironwood initiated, your father needs all the allies he can get to turn a profit. You didn't hear it from me, but a few deals here and there and the Dust Coalition was back on its feet."

Weiss stared blankly at the name. _And here I thought Yang was back at Patch._

"Dust COALition?"

"Hey," Flynt straightened his suit indignantly. "It's clever, sometimes a catchy name is all you need to get things going. Can't say I'm very much a fan of this highbrow crowd though; do you have any idea how much I had to hold back clocking the first three guys I spoke to? Had their heads so far up their own…"

"I-it's…nice to have another friendly face here," she interrupted quickly. "I thought maybe this could help everyone even a little but…"

"Don't let that guy get ya down," he reassured her as best he could. "Despite the oblivious nature of way too many people in this room, we have raised quite a lot of money. Did the rest of your team get to make it by chance?"

Flynt didn't need an answer; the defeated expression on her face told him everything.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, I just feel so useless here…like this painting."

"I dunno, I rather like it," Flynt swirled his untouched glass he had only for show. "I think I can find a nice room for it."

It took Weiss a moment to get his meaning, letting the slightest fringes of a relieved smile to grace her lips turning to him. The painting WAS expensive, but he didn't care, if it helped the people of Vale even a little…

"We all do our part, regardless of how small it is," he reassured her. "If you don't think you can do that here…just know you've got friends watching your back."

"I…"

"But really, does it come as any surprise what happened to Vale?" The shrill voice seemed to cut through the air over the other numerous conversations in the hall. The source of it was a blonde woman speaking louder than she should have; the slurred words gave away the reason why. "It was a long time coming if you ask me."

"Honey," the man she was speaking with tried to placate her words to no avail. He was clearly quite uncomfortable at her proclamations.

"Weiss, she's not worth…" Flynt started as he could almost sense what was going through her mind as he thought the same, though already knew deep down it was a futile effort.

"What?" She laughed, too drunk to get his meaning. "You said the same thing last night. If they're so arrogant to think they can get by without proper kingdom defense, then I say good riddance."

And that's what did it, her completely cold uncaring words at the fate of hundreds swept away what silver lining and acceptance the young heiress had found that evening. Despite the peace having another friend nearby brought her, Weiss' calm exterior snapped like a twig.

"SHUT UP!"

The entire room fell silent at her shout, the eyes of the entire room focusing on Weiss and nowhere else. Her father stared wide-eyed, his face screaming restrained anger and confusion in such a public setting.

"You don't have a clue, none of you do!" She continued her pent up rant of frustration finally having bubbled over.

"Excuse me?" The drunken woman shouted back, almost stumbling as she did so.

"You're all just standing around talking about nothing! Worrying about your hair…your money, your stupid problems that don't mean anything!"

Jacques Schnee stormed over to his daughter, grabbing her wrist securely.

"Let go of me!"

"That is enough, you are embarrassing this family!"

"Mr. Schnee!" Flynt stepped forward. "She said…"

"I SAID LET GO!" Weiss pulled hard enough to break her father's hold on her, tumbling to the hard marble floor below.

Before anyone could move, a glyph appeared beside Weiss glowing white and blue. With a quick flash of light a new form took shape…a Boarbatusk Grimm. Not even the young Schnee girl realized it was identical to the one she had bested in Professor Port's class so long ago. It was different than the ones seen by huntsmen in the wild, rather than the black body and white mask, its entire body was snow-white from head to toe with blue designs wrapping around the giant tusks.

The entire room rushed away from the creature, Flynt moving forward to put himself between the Grimm and Weiss though the creature never once looked her way. Instead it was focused intently on the blonde woman who had voiced such heartless remarks. With a ferocious roar it charged her way full speed.

"No, please stop I'm sorry I was wrong just leave me be!" She screamed too afraid to move. The Grimm was deaf to her pleas and leapt towards her.

A green beam of energy impaled the monster mid-jump, stopping its advance as the corpse slumped to the ground mere inches from the woman's feet before shimmering out of existence. A familiar redheaded girl stood near the doorway, a single blade floating over her head already converted into a laser platform. At the looks of terror at her presence she swiftly withdrew it into her back once more, a look of timid uncertainty on her face with so many looking at her. As always, she was by General Ironwood's side.

"K-keep that away from me and arrest her!" The woman roared in anger now that the danger had passed.

Ironwood looked over to Weiss lying on the ground, Flynt still checking her for injuries, yet made no move to take her into custody.

"What are you waiting for? She's insane and should be locked up!"

"She's the only one making any sense around here," Ironwood replied with a cold stare straight into the woman's eyes which cut off her burst of courage, she quickly glanced away at his look of utter disdain. Once it was obvious no others would make a move against Weiss he finally relaxed, Penny leaning in to offer aid to which Ironwood waved off. "Thanks for the party Jacques," were his last words before walking out, having had enough of the festivities for one night.

Weiss looked up sheepishly, she knew what her father would look like and he did not disappoint. His vision narrowed towards her, the dozens of eyes watching were the only thing forcing him to keep his calm. Just when she thought she could take no more of that stare it was blotted out…by Flynt.

"Are you alright?" He asked, having stepped between Jacques and his daughter, holding out his hand. Taking it hesitantly, Weiss was pulled gently to her feet, noticing the look of concern on his face, at how obviously genuine it was. "What was that thing?"

"That…was me," Weiss admitted silently as she squeezed his hand a little tighter all the while dreading the conversation with her father soon to follow.

 _I did it again…Winter was right._

 **Back in the village…**

Ember had retreated alongside his partner Tyrian, the two facing down the legendary huntsman before them having arrived from seemingly nowhere to protect the students.

"As I live and breathe," Tyrian announced, throwing up his arms before bowing low in a sign of true respect. "Qrow Branwen, a TRUE Huntsman has entered the fray!" Ember similarly bowed but not quite as low or politely as before.

Qrow looked over the two quizzically before turning to Ruby, silently asking what was going on with a simple glance.

"I don't know," Ruby shrugged. "They're weird."

"Look…fellas," Qrow replied. "I don't know who you two are, but you need to leave my niece alone."

The armored knight placed his hand over his heart and bowed again. "I am Ember, Knight of Cinders in service to the Fall Maiden."

Qrow glanced down at the emblem burned into the breastplate before replying flatly. "Really? Gee I never would have guessed."

"And I friend am Tyrian, though I am afraid this is not possible. Our assignment from her Grace was to retrieve this young girl. So that is what we must do, one does not upset the Queen."

"Queen?" Ruby asked, still confused. If it wasn't Cinder then…

"Salem," Qrow gritted through his teeth.

"Who?"

"I feel we have had enough talk, do you not agree dear Ember?"

"It would seem so," the knight agreed. "You handle the old bird, I'll take the hatchlings."

"If you think I'll just let…" Qrow started.

With a giddy smile Tyrian threw himself at Qrow, Ember simultaneously swinging around and firing his lance at Team RNJRR still waiting in the distance. This time they saw it coming and successfully avoided the blast.

Ruby leapt up the side of a building, taking a sniper position overseeing the village so she could monitor and assist in both battles. She took aim at the armored knight, yet her finger locked up as she tried to pull the trigger. No matter whom she aimed at through the scope of her rifle, all she could see was Horatio's face. The remainder of Team RNJRR charged.

Ember was the antithesis of Tyrian, where the scorpion-Faunus would dance, cartwheel and otherwise find ways of evading their attacks; Ember fought them head on. His lance had an impressive reach being nearly six feet long though was still short for the weapon type normally meant for mounted combat. Even Nora could not easily get close enough to use her hammer; Ember swung his weapon about, parrying it to the side…he all but ignored Ren and Olivia's support fire.

Jaune rushed him, sliding underneath an attack to get in close. Now in range Jaune raised his sword, bringing it down on the knight.

 _I'm too close for him to use it!_

Ember rotated the handle around, bringing the large handguard to bear. With a clash of steel it deflected Jaune's strike. Tilting his weapon downward he buried it in the ground several feet past Jaune and pulled the trigger.

The explosion blasted the stonework apart, picking Jaune up into the air. In a flash Ember spun, kicking him square in the center of his armor and throwing him across the courtyard. Ren had given up on his long-range strategy, spinning over the lance he planted both feet into Ember's chest with his full weight behind them.

Cinder's knight grunted but did not budge.

Grabbing Ren's feet he pulled him off, throwing him full force into Nora who was charging from behind. The two tumbled to the ground together, Ren clearly unmoving after they stopped.

Olivia was on him, bringing down her mace full swing at his head. Ember caught her wrist, stopping the attack before it could reach. He hesitated as his face locked with hers, a pair of dark eyes and a sinister smile greeting him. In that instant she brought her pistol to bear, unloading it point blank into his head. The knight grunted as the bullets impacted the armor, succeeding in denting the helmet at the bridge of the nose. She used his own grip on her as leverage to twist impossibly to deliver a solid kick to the side of his head.

With a heave he threw her across the courtyard, she rolled several times before righting herself, eyes normal again.

Across the battlefield Qrow led Tyrian onto an unsteady rooftop. He had managed to trick the Faunus onto a collapsing beam but he had been too fast, wrapping a tail around the experienced huntsman and dragging him inside.

"Help Qrow, we'll need him to take this guy!" Jaune shouted towards Ruby's perch, standing up again and staring Ember down. "We'll hold him off!"

Ruby looked concerned but nodded in understanding and turned, racing off to help her Uncle, Olivia following close behind. Nora was making sure an unconscious Ren was comfortable.

"You make an admirable knight," Ember complimented. "But you cannot win this battle. Prithee Mr. Arc…stand down."

"Not…happening," Jaune huffed. Despite his strong words to Ruby his body ached all over even through his aura, meanwhile Ember stood there completely unharmed.

"I will not harm her, I gave my word."

"YOU ARE TAKING HER TO CINDER!" Jaune roared, remembering the last sight of Pyrrha limping at Patch.

"She…is not as evil as you may have heard," the knight rationalized. "I would do my best to ensure my lady did not harm Ms. Rose."

"A friend of mine once thought better of her too," Jaune growled. "He died for it!"

The knight said nothing; glancing to the side he spotted a puddle of water, the surface reflecting back his armored helm. Ember lowered his lance to the ground, his desire to continue fighting completely drained. Jaune stared at his opponent in confusion, his face still unreadable beneath the dark Nevermore wings of his helmet.

 **Across the Field…**

Olivia and Ruby rushed to the building they had spotted Qrow and Tyian collapse inside. Dust and debris could be seen kicking up inside as they continued their struggle. The side of the house exploded outward, Ruby's uncle flying out like a projectile. Expertly while in mid-air he threw his sword far ahead, allowing it to imbed itself into the ground. He caught the handle protruding from the ground with his shoes, skidding through the pavement to a halt perched atop his sword.

"Mr. Bran…" Olivia started before noticing the red shimmer of his aura, it had collapsed. In an instant Tyrian emerged from the house rushing Qrow's location, the flash of violet betraying that his aura had fallen as well. They were evenly matched it seemed.

Qrow parried his initial strike, as Tyrian swung back around Ruby was there, knocking his follow-up away with Crescent Rose. Ruby pulled the trigger, causing a bullet to fly past, Tyrian's face taking a few strands of hair with it…a live round.

Olivia crept up from behind, swinging her mace down with all her might. As with Nora's hammer, his scorpion tail deflected it, though his shoulder was singed by the resulting explosion. She fell back and reconverted to a rifle.

Tyrian laughed at Ruby's sudden inclusion to the battle, clearly not seeing her or Olivia as a credible threat. "Do you wish to be taken?"

"No," Ruby replied with conviction though sweat was running down her face and her hands shook. "But I will not stand by as someone gets hurt!" With that last word she rushed forward, Qrow close behind.

Qrow and his niece swung their respective weapons from both sides, forcing Tyrian to use each of his wrist blades to catch them. Olivia kneeled and fired several precision rounds towards the faunus' legs in an attempt to cripple him. To her growing frustration despite his aura having fallen, his tail deflected each shot with little effort. His reaction time was insane.

Tyrian spun, kicking Qrow away as he clashed with Ruby, his first blow easily parrying her scythe to the side, his second brought forward to finish her off. Qrow jumped between them, blocking his follow-up swing and protecting his niece.

"Ruby!" He shouted, his voice full of concern and strain. "I thought you were done fighting! Get back!"

"This is my fight too, I won't just hang back scared!" Ruby glared daggers at Tyrian as she ran around, swinging low to take his legs out from under him. The agile fighter easily jumped over her attack while still clashing with her uncle.

"No, it's not that…it's…" Qrow started but did not get a chance to finish. Tyrian bounded off the veteran Huntsman's sword towards Ruby, catching her in the chest and driving her backwards.

Ruby slammed into the wall of the building behind them, shaking it off she prepared herself for his attack…unaware that her impact had dislodged a beam above her head, bringing it down atop her.

Her uncle was faster; blasting past Tyrian he cleaved the beam in two, both halves narrowly missing Ruby by the smallest of margins. Ruby and Qrow shared a heartfelt smile at his timely rescue.

"Mr. Branwen, look out!" Olivia cried, eyes darkening as her smile lit up. While the two were briefly distracted the crazed faunus' tail had lashed out, headed directly for him. Thinking fast, the girl reconverted her mace and swung, catching his tail before it reached him and deflecting it using the force of the explosion. Tyrian turned and caught a glimpse of her eyes in that instant, not even upset at his failed strike.

"Ravishing," he licked his lips. Unexpectedly, the tail twisted mid-parry, its stinger lashing out at a new target…

 **Across the Square…**

A scream of pain echoed from the other side of the courtyard drawing their attention.

The tip of Tyrian's stinger had lodged itself in Ruby's shoulder, his eyes glowing purple with glee as his poison coursed through her. His giggling laughter of victory quickly turned to pained screams as Ruby raised Crescent Rose and with a single weak pull of the trigger severed his tail just below the stinger.

"YOU BITCH!" Tyrian roared, his appendage thrashing about randomly in extreme pain spraying its purple poisoned liquid in spurts. With a final burst of strength, what was left of his tail caught the poisoned huntress in the chest, sending her soaring back across the village and through a nearby building.

Ember realized the building Ruby had crashed through was close. Ignoring Jaune, he rushed to the hole in the rubble, spotting the unconscious huntress with blood running down her face, her shoulder discoloring purple fast. Tyrian was still scurrying about despite his pain, keeping Qrow and Olivia from rushing to her.

 _She won't last long._ He was so locked on her form, his mind conflicted that he did not notice the movement out of the corner of his eye until it was too late.

Nora slammed Magnhild with all the force she could muster into the side of Ember's head. The knight staggered only a little, the true damage being to his helmet as the left half shattered into a thousand pieces having been weakened by Ren's attack and Olivia's previous barrage. She ceased her assault upon seeing Ruby, her face contorting with fear.

Ember brought an armored glove up immediately to shield the left side of his face. A single line of blood dripped down his cheek from a shard of metal that had slowly cut across it by sheer luck with just insufficient force for him to protect against it. His visage remained covered; Nora could only see a few tufts of unruly dark brown hair and blood flowing around the gauntlet.

"So you aren't invincible," she remarked, panting in frustration that her best swing had failed not once, but twice that day and barely scratched him.

"She won't survive without me now," Ember half-threatened. "Tyrian's poison is quite potent, but I can save her."

 _Please don't make me push the issue!_

"You are going to save her…NOW!" Nora threatened, converting Magnihild into its grenade launcher form.

"I'm sorry," he whispered so softly he didn't know if they heard him.

Aiming his gunlance towards Jaune he fired. The cannonball landed a few feet to his left, the explosion's shockwave impacting his armor, sending him skidding across the battlefield once again. Almost missed by Nora, Ember struck the side of his weapon harshly as if to make sure it was still functioning. That completed, he took aim towards the unconscious Ren in the distance.

"NO!" It was too late as the armored knight pulled the trigger.

Nora thought fast, switching back to her hammer she stood atop the head before he fired. As she had done back at the breach, she fired the grenades within to propel her at great speeds to chase after the projectile heading for her childhood friend. Even as fast as she was, she couldn't overtake it quickly enough; at best she could shield Ren from the blast.

With a final kick, she sprang ahead; Ember had overshot him so the cannonball would explode a bit behind him. She crouched down, ready to take the hit and ensure Ren wouldn't…

The cannonball clanged off the stone streets, surprising Nora as no explosion accompanied it. The defective explosive just kept rolling until it disappeared into the brush in the distance.

 _A dud?_ She looked over the area, certain there must be a trick. Yet even after waiting, there was no sign of a delayed detonation and even if it did, it was now sufficiently far to prevent injury. Only then did she realize what had happened. He had drawn her away, Ren was down, Jaune was down and Qrow with Olivia were chasing off the creepy scorpion across the square who had started a hasty retreat. She had been the only thing protecting…

"Ruby!" Nora rushed back to the building but could see before arriving she was too late.

The crater of beams and debris within the broken structure was empty. Ruby was gone with only Crescent Rose having been left behind. There was no sign of the knight or hyperactive huntress anywhere. Despite the short amount of time that had passed since she looked away, they were nowhere to be found.

As Nora looked about for any sign of where they might have gone, Qrow approached from behind, panting from the intense battle while Olivia rushed to look over Jaune and Ren.

"Wh-where is she?" He asked, eyes widening at what the terrified expression on Nora's face meant. "WHERE IS RUBY?"

 **The heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation sees the uncaring and cold world she was born into brought forth as RNJRR loses one of their own. Will they be able to track down the Knight of Cinders before he absconds with their friend to the realm of the mysterious master in black? As always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	45. Pursuits in the Dark

**TwilightHexe: Thanks! First he must elude the pursuers…he has a long way to go to Salem's domain**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Sorry about the longer delays between chapters, it'll be spread out but I hope to be able to have one out every 2 weeks or so. Adding in Olivia Ramus, even with RWBY gone they are still sort of team RNJR lol, best hope Nora and Ren don't start the questions of the name again XD**

 **Batomys2731: She is so much fun to write for, I don't know how canon could kill her off with the potential fun moments for her :D. That means a lot you enjoyed the fight so much, we shall have to wait and see how things go…**

 **Constipated Genius: DS3-Cosplayer-man XD XD that is a good one. We can say that was Horatio's first idea for a name but Cinder shot it down. Yea…Tyrian just LOVES Olivia's eyes…she should steer clear of him.**

 **Actually, the slanted ponytail was mentioned in an old episode of CRWBY as a form of protest against Jacques. I noticed so much Vol. 4+ artwork shows it straight when it shouldn't be which inspired me to include it as it almost felt like a deleted scene. Oh, the mentioning Yang in Patch was due to Flynt's pun…his last name is Coal and his group is the Dust COALition lol. PTSD pun flashbacks for poor Weiss.**

 **deathwing17: Indeed, as one would expect (surprised it didn't happen in canon more), not only was the actual fall of Beacon bad…but that she believes she is the one responsible for her friend's death. I hope to not disappoint as I continue forward :)**

 **bookwrym321: I am glad you enjoyed so much of the chapter :D Plenty more to come before they make it to Haven…**

 **Amelia: I'm pretty sure they don't know what to call their team either lol. Horatio's torn nature between the woman he loves and his friends has been one of my favorite parts of writing this story. I'll try to update as often as I can and I hope you enjoy each one as I go forward :D**

 **And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!**

"How could you just leave her?" Qrow screamed as he searched the obvious paths. Despite Ember's considerable size in the armor he saw no obvious tracks. There were no broken branches, smell to go by or even an obvious nearby route. He was simply gone.

"I-I," Nora started, feeling her blood turn to ice at the realization that Ruby had been taken. She couldn't come up with an answer. "He said he could help her poison and I…I hesitated…"

"Get the others up and start looking!" He ordered as the grizzled huntsman started a running leap out of the village.

To Nora and Olivia's amazement, Ruby's uncle suddenly vanished to be replaced by a black crow with red eyes. The transformed avian took flight after his only lead, the fleeing scorpion faunus as he kept watch on the area as far as he could see. With the thick tree cover, he could not see nearly as much as he wished.

"He…did he just...?" Nora looked amazed. No semblance known could completely change a person's appearance and shape like that.

Olivia wasn't listening, instead helping Ren to his feet while Jaune stumbled over, somehow his aura had lasted albeit barely. They had more to worry about than the old man's magic trick.

 _ **Well that was embarrassing.**_

"Shut up," she growled, only Ren realizing who she was talking to. "We have to get up, get out there and…"

 _ **Wander aimlessly in the woods? Even if you split up could any one of you even do anything about it if you ran across him at random?**_

 _We can't just sit here and do nothing._

 _ **Never said we should, but you need to think…carefully.**_

Olivia breathed in and out, finally letting herself calm down. Actually listening to the dark voice in her head, she started thinking out all they knew as fast as she could.

"He can't be going too far," she said aloud for everyone to hear. "Ruby was poisoned, badly. If he wanted her dead he could have just left her and run. That means he has to stop at some point to administer aid."

"But he could do that anywhere," Jaune pointed out. Even with more people it could take days to search everywhere."

"We'll need to pick the most likely places and start from there," Ren offered. If Mr. Branwen…flew off the way we came, we must look forward."

 _ **And unless you have the luck of fairy tales you'll never pick right. Come on boss, let me breathe again just a little.**_

Olivia bit her tongue as she fell to her knees, propping herself up into a meditative pose. She hadn't tried it since tracking Horatio down on Merlot's island, but it was their only option. She focused intently, Ren keeping the others from interrupting her with questions. She opened her powers just a touch, reaching out for the familiar bubbly feeling of Ruby…

"That way!" She pointed off towards the mountain.

"But how do you know?" Nora asked.

"Long story," she quickly answered. It would take time to explain how she could sense distant thoughts of people she knew. Thankfully Ruby wasn't too far to prevent feeling her basic direction. "I'll explain on the way, but we need to hurry! Can you walk?"

"I have to," Ren agreed to a nodding Jaune. Nora was ever the boundless well of energy. "Lead the way; we will keep pace as best we can."

Olivia did not need told twice, bounding into the trees with the others following her. As long as they didn't get too far she could keep tabs on them, he wouldn't get away.

 _ **See boss, these "unsavory" powers you have can be turned to good, give me a few hours at the reigns and you wouldn't believe what we are capable of.**_

 **Atlas…**

"Unbelievable!" Jacques repeated for the dozenth time pacing in Weiss' room as his daughter sat on her bed watching him out of the corner of her eye with her head downturned as was expected. "Absolutely unbelievable! Do you have any idea what your stunt cost us?"

"I-"

"And don't think I'm talking about lien here!" He interrupted with a finger shoved in her face, his previous question rhetorical though he wouldn't have cared to hear her answer anyway. "Our reputation! Our…our…" He couldn't even finish his statement, the head of the Schnee Dust Company just sighed heavily with a hand on the back of his head as if the thoughts brought him discomfort.

 _He never cared even the slightest about what happened at Beacon, just another means to make himself look better. How could I ever think he could change?_

At those thoughts, the words of both Penny and Flynt came back to her mind. She couldn't do anything here, fundraisers and kind words over the turmoil happening elsewhere…that is all she would accomplish in that place. In that moment, her mind was made up.

"I want to leave."

"I beg your pardon?" Jacques snapped out of his self-pitying at the unexpected words of his daughter.

"I said," Weiss repeated as she finally raised her head high to look him in the eyes. "I want to leave! I don't want to stay here anymore; I don't want to stay in Atlas anymore!"

"Young lady, I don't give a damn about what YOU want! This isn't about you! This is about the Schnee family name and your apparent insistence on dragging it through the mud!"

 _How dare you!_ She thought as the frustration from the party returned in full force. _With how the world already thinks of our family, you did that long ago!_

"I have done NOTHING but fight to uphold the honor of MY family name!" Weiss stood from the bed, taking a step towards her father until they were as close as possible despite the height disparity. "A name that YOU married into!"

Jacques' face contorted in anger at her defiance; in a flash he raised his open-palm high…

A loud knock interrupted him mid-swing, the door sliding open a crack and forcing the man to lower his intended slap to hide his intentions…but Weiss saw what he had planned, her eyes widened in shock.

"Klein," Jacques narrowed on his head butler with cold eyes. "I said NO interruptions…"

"Unless they were business related sir, and they are. Mr. Coal has a business proposal that he INSISTS must be…"

"Just…" Jacques sighed again clearly frustrated. "Just give him a room in the guest wing until I can meet with him. Inform the man that my daughter is unwell and needs my full attention. I've spoken to him before and…"

"My apologies sir, but the head of the Dust Coalition was forced to depart for some trouble at their head office. He has left his son to finalize discussions in his stead."

 _Flynt?_

"Then give HIM the guest quarters," Jacques rushed to remove his butler from the room.

Klein's face met Weiss', seeing the aftermath of her realization at how unchanged and uncaring her father had remained since she left for Beacon. She looked so defeated, was it not for his duties as a butler…

"At once," he acquiesced. "Would the Ms. Schnee require any refresh…"

"She will not," he silenced the gentleman's attempts at raising her mood. "Leave us."

Klein nodded without a word, throwing a heart wrenching apologetic gaze to Weiss before slowly closing the door.

"Your recent behavior has been QUITE unacceptable," he continued once they were alone again, straightening his tie. "You have no idea the lengths I've gone to in order to keep this family where it is. If you think running off like your sister is going to make the Schnee name stronger, you're wrong. Siding with her only divides us."

"I'm not SIDING with anyone, I'm doing what I feel is right and that does not include wasting my time up here with these clueless people in Atlas." Jacques turned to pace the room, clearly rolling his eyes at her words as he did. "The Schnee family legacy isn't yours to leave…it's mine, and I'll do it as a huntress."

There was a moment of silence as her father breathed in deep again, spinning with a renewed look of somber determination.

"No, you won't. You are not leaving Atlas or the manor grounds unless I specifically allow it." He advanced on her in the slow, threatening pace he had mastered over the years in an attempt to intimidate her. "You are going to remain here out of sight and out of trouble until you and I come to an…agreement on your future."

"What?" Weiss' strong expression collapsed at his words.

"Your presumption that you can simply have whatever you want is a clear sign of our failure as parents. But from now on I'll be giving you the FULL attention you require, starting by keeping you where I can see you."

"You…you can't just keep me from leaving!"

"I can, and the staff here will make sure of it."

"So now I'm just your prisoner?" It had always been that way to an extent before she left for Beacon, but now her father had just dropped all pretense to the contrary.

"You are my daughter," he replied as if it was the most normal conversation in the world. "You're a child, and children are grounded when they misbehave. I believe it is also customary to take away one's toys as well during such a time."

Only then did Weiss realize the suitcase containing her weapon Myrtenaster was not on her dresser where she kept it. Glancing around the room almost frantically she could not locate it in any of the obvious places. He must have had it removed before they returned from the party.

"That…that was mine!" She stepped forward, daring to go on the offensive at such an action. Unfortunately, Jacques did not budge. "I made it, I…"

"You designed it," he corrected. "If memory serves, I believe it was made using Schnee company resources, that makes it an asset of the company. Do not worry, once we come to our agreement you may have it back."

"This…this is only going to make this worse father!" Weiss was fuming, pointing out every detrimental effect his actions would have. "People are going to ask questions, want to know why the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company is suddenly nowhere to be found!"

"Which is why you are no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Weiss looked on as her heart dropped into her stomach at those words and only managed to sink lower as he explained his plans for the future that wouldn't involve her at the head of the company. Instead the name would be continued by the one person as indistinguishable from her father as possible…her younger brother Whitley.

 **Menagerie…**

"I still feel awful," Kali Belladonna asserted once more. "What things must have been like without anyone knowing your secret. Oh how you and Blake could have been such friends growing up."

"You shouldn't Mrs. Belladonna," Esmerelda tried to placate her guilt. "It wasn't you that made my grandmother worry so much. The tea is delicious by the way."

"Please, call me Kali."

The two were sharing a meal with Sun for the evening. Ghira had withdrawn to his study to go over the new information involving Adam Taurus and his wayward followers performing attacks around the world. They had been quite troubling as the splinter group was more ruthless than even Sienna's worst tactics. Blake had stepped out and none knew where she'd withdrawn to. Kali seemingly had heard no word of her daughter since she fled and was eager for any information they could give. Sun couldn't stop regaling her with tales of team RWBY during their year at Beacon before the fall.

"Ezzy here even helped out your daughter and I once Mrs. B," Sun continued his tale. Fought some White Fang bad guys the first day I met them."

"I wish we had known about these attacks for certain beforehand," the motherly faunus looked truly concerned despite the fact they clearly made it through the event unscathed.

The cheerful monkey-faunus had gotten off on a poor foot with Blake's father Ghira, complimenting her 'moves' without specifying what kind. It was clear that the imposing older man didn't like him, though Kali felt otherwise. If only he knew how much the young man had been trying to help Blake and her turmoil. They lost track of time to the point the moon was already rising outside, Ezzy stood to bid farewell.

"So soon?" Kali asked with a disappointed look, her ears shirking down. "At least let one of our guardsmen escort you to Odette's."

"Thank you, but I remember the way," she smiled back at the kind woman. "Perhaps I could visit again tomorrow."

 _If I get a chance._

"Of course, our doors are always open. Please think of this house as a second home."

"Ezzy!" Sun caught up to her closer to the door. "Be careful out there."

"I'll be fine Sun; it's not far to…"

"Seriously," Sun asserted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Blake mentioned earlier that White Fang members in Menagerie don't wear masks but I saw one during our scuffle with those jerks at the docks."

Esmerelda perked up her ears. "Did you notice anything else?"

"Small build, would guess a girl based on the hair…nothing else really. She disappeared into the crowd when she caught me looking. Maybe you should stay here tonight."

"If I see anything dangerous I'll come back," she assured him. "I left my bag at my grandmother's. We did sort of just rush out on her."

"Fine," the monkey-faunus slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I'm going to find Blake; she needs to know about this too."

"If…I may ask," Ezzy could not resist asking. "Why DID you follow Blake? Was it really just on the off chance she was going to fight the White Fang?" Her gaze drilled into Sun's, a minor threat if he wanted to hide the truth.

"That obvious huh?" He chuckled like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"You and Roland have that in common…you're terrible liars."

 _So was Horatio…_

"Blake," he started, trying to choose his words carefully. "She has a lot on her shoulders ya know? Seems to think that because she helped out the White Fang for a few years that she is responsible for stopping them. She just needs a friend to help her out…be there when she needs it the most."

"I'm just a friend," Esmerelda pointed out. "Are you as well?"

Sun just threw his arms up in the air as if in defeat. "I have to be, it'd be pretty tactless for me to try and be anything else while she's healing."

 _He IS sharper than he lets on…hopefully she notices that too._

 **Later…**

Esmerelda slipped into her old home, based on the silence her grandmother had already gone to bed. Thankfully she'd left her bag sitting untouched on the seat where Esmerelda had left it. She quickly retrieved it to be safe while deciding it would be best not to wake her and apologize in the morning, with any luck her old room hadn't been turned into storage.

To her shock, as the door slid open, she realized that had been far from the case. There was no bed, a change for the best as she doubted she could squeeze into the one she'd slept in at age ten, but the rest was untouched. She poked at a lone wooden soldier, the paint chipped away and flaking with age. Beneath it, dressers formerly filled with her clothes were still in place; her books on modern legends were still on the shelf. Without thinking she pulled on her favorite, blowing off a generous layer of dust.

'Man Up with Port: How to Survive in the Wilds of Remnant,' the young girl must have read it a hundred times. She flipped through a few pages while contemplating Sun and Blake's presence on the island.

 _He's helping her come to terms…but with what? She ran off after the battle without a word despite the state of her team. No one knew where she had gone. Was it simply to run away? Sun thinks she feels responsible for the White Fang, yet she goes out of her way to avoid them. Would Blake really do that? Was it to get away from those she cares about so they wouldn't get hurt like Yang? If so then why come home…her parents were kind people and she surely loves them too._ It wasn't adding up. _I should have told them…_

"Hi Esmé."

Esmerelda dropped her bag, spinning around with a hand on the hilt of her weapon. She had been so distracted she hadn't spotted a shape obscured in the shadows near the window. He stood tall, any details of the intruder obscured, yet the use of that name removed any doubt as to their identity once her moment of shock had passed.

"Yummy?"

The shape moved into the moonlight, revealing a young man in a full black body suit though the sleeves were cut short for the warm climate. He had spiky brown hair that went down to his neck with a tuft at his chin as a short goatee. Slowly, a pair of black bat wings matching his attire unfolded though it was a natural movement and nothing nefarious.

"Think I'm a little old for that name," he answered with a relaxed expression. "I…heard you were around."

"Yuma…" Esmerelda stepped forward as he did the same, meeting in the middle of the room with a powerful embrace. "I didn't know if you'd still be here, it's been so many years…"

 **Years Earlier…**

Esmerelda finished setting up the new soldiers for their 'battalion,' unlike the sticks and rocks from when she'd been little; they were now adequately-made wood figurines. Yuma was skilled with his hands. The hidden area behind the crawlspace had grown over the last five years since she'd met the young boy who stumbled on her place of solitude. In addition to full platoons of wooden soldiers, they had transformed their sanctuary into a base of operations. Surely with their combined cunning and resources they could repel any assault, or at least such were the thoughts running through an eleven-year old's mind.

Yuma had been true to his word, since their first meeting he only ever come alone when she was able to get away. The two ruled as the commanders of their troops, sending them off on dangerous missions from which they were always victorious thanks to their fool-proof strategies. For those years, she almost felt normal despite continuing to be homeschooled and watched over like a hawk by her caring yet overly suspicious grandmother. At long last, she had a true friend, someone with whom she could feel...normal. They'd even made nicknames for each other

And one day that all came crashing down.

Esmerelda stood up as she surveyed her work; their forces were ready for their next outing. Perhaps they would be assaulting a warlord's stronghold or the castle of the Grimm Queen keeping the world under her heel…

Esmerelda turned as she heard the loose beams slide open, Yuma must have finally arrived, she had wondered why he was so late. The young boy had gotten taller over the years yet always retained his love of dark colors, even his wings had grown in though he was far from being able to fly on his own and the tufts of what could one day become a beard had grown in. Despite her joy at his arrival, the young girl's blood turned to ice as she beheld him. Yuma was covered in bruises, his lip swollen and blood running down his mouth. He was panting heavily as if he'd been sprinting all the way while his eyes were wide in terror.

"You have to go NOW!"

"Yuma, what happened to…?"

"They'll be here any second, please just go!"

He rushed forward, throwing to her the form-obscuring hoodie and gripping her wrist, pulling his friend towards their back exit they had excavated years ago yet rarely used. He held her arm so tightly it hurt. Esmerelda barely had time to grab one of the wooden soldiers tight in her fist.

"Let me look at those, we have some bandages over by…"

"No time, please, he'll be here any minute!" A loud bang echoed from the entrance, Yuma had wedged it shut on his way in but it wouldn't hold long. "I…had an argument with dad," Yuma admitted as they moved to open the rear exit. "He'd a bit too much in the morning and went on one of his rants."

Yuma had admitted to her the previous summer how his father would get when he drank too much. How he'd blame everything on humans from their current state to his wife's weakening health from the move to Menagerie, the same that claimed her life giving birth to her son. She had guessed his father had done more than simply rant, yet never before had she seen Yuma in such a state. He groaned with every movement from the pain of his injuries.

"I just couldn't take it anymore, I argued back and things got heated. He said there were no examples of humans being anything other than monsters and I…I said I had proof he was wrong."

 _Oh no, you didn't._

"I thought, if he just met you, see how kind and sweet you are that he might see humans differently. I was so wrong, I'm sorry Esmé."

Another pounding blow on the door as it bent inward.

"I beat him here, but he and a few of his buddies are looking for you. Don't worry; he flipped out before I could give your name or anything. Once you are clear you should be safe."

"Come with me!" Esmerelda grabbed his arm in-turn. "We can both get out!"

"No," the fledgling bat-faunus refuted. "I'll just draw him right to you. You go; I'll keep him busy here long enough for you to get home."

"Yum…"

Yuma ducked in, planting his lips on hers. It was clumsy and quick as he had thought of it yet never attempted. With how things were looking it was his last chance he saw so he took it. At last he shoved her through the tube, barricading it from the inside with a heavy log that blended into the wall.

Esmerelda could only hear the rest echo through the pipe leading out beyond the abandoned complex. She heard Yuma's assertions that no one else was there in such a way it sounded like he was hiding her in the very room. She sniffled back tears as she heard the smack of flesh on flesh as he punished his son for hiding the human girl. Her tears didn't dry all the way home still clutching the wooden soldier.

Her grandmother learned everything when she arrived; finding Esmerelda hiding under her bed, face flushed and puffy. Her secret rendezvous, Yuma's friendship and what had happened that day. She would have found it out regardless as Yuma's father had been quite vocal on the presence of humans on the island. Despite no proof, he had rallied a mob bent on searching the city for her. Where there was one human, others were surely close by. Odette never blamed her granddaughter, only herself for her choice in husband though she'd loved him dearly. She resolved that it was no longer safe for Esmerelda, not only for protection from the mob, but for how much she'd gotten away with under her very nose. She knew full well she could never keep her hidden for long.

A few favors, the cover of night and a pack to make it look like she had a pair of swan wings of her own. That was all it had taken to book passage for Esmerelda to the mainland. Huntsman training academies took everyone who was willing to fight the Grimm and her little cygnet had voiced an interest in joining their order someday more than once.

And thus it was Esmerelda set sail as the mob, against the orders of their Chieftain started scouring the city, torches in hand. Their search would be in vain, as Odette was long gone with her granddaughter aboard the ship to Vale…to the training academy know as Bastion.

 **Present Day…**

"Why are you here?" The huntress of team HERO asked as she pulled away from the hug with her old friend. She couldn't help but notice Yuma looked more ragged than he had as a boy, like he hadn't been sleeping well. It almost made him look older than he was.

"I…heard you were back in town," he murmured. "Why are you here? I didn't think you'd ever return."

"With the fall of Beacon and the Grimm spreading…" she hesitated to choose her words. "I wanted to check on my grandmother, I am surprised you remained, I thought you hated it on the island."

"I did, if it weren't for Trifa I probably would have left long ago. She helped out after my dad…well," he sighed heavily. "That doesn't matter right now. It's so good to have you ba…"

Yuma had knelt to pick up Esmerelda's bag she had dropped in surprise at seeing him but suddenly froze in his tracks. The contents had spilled out from the fall including her scroll, toiletries and other supplies such as spare clothes….and her Atlas Specialist uniform.

"Yuma…" Esmerelda started, watching the anger practically seep onto his face. "It's not what you think, I'm helping to…"

"Shut…up," he whispered low and harshly. With a single frustrated blow, he punched the floor, denting the wooden beams. "I-I actually felt bad, that I had betrayed you…that I gave them your name…"

"What?"

"But you…you joined THEM? The kingdom most known for treating our people like animals!" Esmerelda grew afraid as a twisted, almost sadistic smile spread across his features for a moment merging with the anger. She had never seen such a foul look on him before.

 _What happened to you?_

"Yuma, please, I don't do that. The Grimm are the threat, we are fighting them after the Vytal Festival! I would never…"

"WHY did you come back here?" Her silence told him all he needed, she was hiding something. His wings unfolded, forcing the Specialist-in training to dive and avoid being struck by them. With an apt roll she had her weapon ready yet refused to draw it.

 _Not against him..._

"Please Yuma!" She begged again. "Don't make me do this!"

"It's already done," he threatened, advancing on her in a sudden motion.

Before the bat-faunus could reach her, a flash of light caught him in the side, blasting him into the wall harshly as his aura took the brunt yet held. Odette Mustra was standing at the entrance to the room silhouetted by the hallway light. She was wearing a white nightgown and slippers, her cane tilted upward still smoking from the hidden barrel at the bottom. She had a pair of thick reading glasses, her eyes narrowed towards Yuma.

"In my day it was customary to meet the family before rendezvousing at night," she cocked the weapon again threateningly. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Yuma growled, turning he dashed for the window, narrowly avoiding a second shotgun shell from the angry swan. In a flash he dove through it, disappearing into the night.

"Come back!" Esmerelda shouted, jumping up on the window sill to give chase. "Thank you nana but that was Yuma! I have to talk to him!" With that last word she followed behind and was gone.

Odette rushed forward but was too late; her granddaughter had vanished from sight with no sign of where she had disappeared to. When in need, the two were experts at stealth.

"There goes my peaceful retirement," the aging woman grumbled as she tightened the sash around her waist. Quickly she hurried inside to get dressed, the night air was quite chilly, how her granddaughter could wear such a revealing outfit in it was beyond her.

 **Deep in the Forests of Anima…**

The knight in black armor kneeled down; he hadn't seen any sign of pursuit and hoped for a few minutes to work. He had been running non-stop since the battle and wasn't quite as far as he wished to be, but had no choice, if he was interrupted she wouldn't last. Since fleeing the village he had kept under tree cover every step of the way, even using his semblance to cancel out much of the kinetic force of his footsteps to both prevent prints and muffle sound. He could then convert it into energy to keep going, if Qrow Branwen missed him, or better yet went after Tyrian who was oblivious of his success; it would buy time and distance while tiring out the auraless huntsman.

Ruby was laid out flat on the ground sweating profusely, he had shredded the top of her outfit to reveal her bare shoulder still turning a putrid purple where the stinger had punctured her skin.

"Don't you dare die Ruby," Ember commanded despite no chance of her hearing him. "I swore no one else around me is going to die and I meant it!"

He reached into his pouch, pulling out the second item that the love of his life had gifted him before his departure. It was a vial filled with a golden liquid, the only anti-venom that gave Tyrian's poison some pause. The insane faunus had been unaware, but his stinger was one of the most dangerous weapons against Ember as it required very little pressure to puncture skin. Cinder realized it could bypass the Guardian's semblance and thus had thought ahead to ensure his protection, acquiring the precious liquid for his travels.

I d _oubt she imagined I'd be using it on Ruby…or that she'll be very pleased if she finds out._

With an accompanying syringe, he injected the contents into the point of entry of the stinger. His old classmate had a small body, even with it there was no guarantee she could outlast the venom, he'd have to find someplace they could lay low until the worst of it passed. She'd be weak for days, more than enough time to get to an airship back to Salem's domain. Quickly, he looked over the map he had of the region.

 _With Shion village destroyed the nearest airship will be closer to Haven. Maybe there is somewhere around the mountain I can…_

Ruby groaned, causing him to jump in worry that she had awoken, thankfully it seemed that she was tossing and turning randomly, no doubt from bad dreams the fever likely brought out.

"I-sorry," she groaned. "Don't hate me…"

Ember's stoic shell cracked like an egg at those words, he just slumped to his knees, half wishing she could hear him.

"…I couldn't Ruby; I'm the one you should hate."

 **Months Ago…**

The familiar double knocks signaled Horatio announcing his desire to enter. Cinder took a nearby oak cane they had provided her and slammed it once on the ground, he could come in.

"More reading material," he announced, hefting in another stack of books. Since the fall of Beacon, the school was completely under the control of Salem's forces. As a result, they had been moving his belongings to the Keep little by little. Seeing as Horatio rarely slept in his own room, he was quickly filling up the bookshelf in Cinder's with his personal collection. He also used the opportunity to preserve as much of his team's belongings as he could by claiming they were his.

 _If she sees Roland's figurines I may need to have an excuse ready, I wonder if she'd believe me if I said it was a hobby..._

Horatio's appearance had changed in the time since arriving at the intimidating keep, having let his normally buzzed short brown hair grow out and it was starting to become unruly. He had spent so much time away from his room that he had neglected himself and now sported a rather impressive beard though it was still growing in certain places. He didn't mind it too much but had yet to ask Cinder's opinion on it.

The room was finally showing some life, it had been near empty when Cinder was first moved in and Horatio worked to quickly rectify that oversight. The Bookshelf was now about half full and he previously moved it closer to the bed for easier access. A world map of Remnant was placed along the wall over the headboard. No plants could flourish in Salem's domain without the sun so the only option he had were a few fake ferns that once decorated Beacon's halls. The false foliage was nothing special but served their purpose.

Cinder looked up from her bed, closing the book she had been reading on the genealogy of Remnant's Kings and Empresses. He didn't see how she could actually enjoy such a dull read but they kept her sane he supposed. She still could not speak, but her strength was returning, enough at least he was sure she could give him a good caning if she cared to. Thankfully she never did, instead allowing herself a soft welcoming smile for half a heartbeat as he came in.

"I found something you might like," from behind the door he produced a portrait, turning it so that Cinder could see it.

He had been ecstatic to discover his team portrait of her and the others had survived the battle, the frame was scorched somewhat but otherwise untouched. He had yet to locate the personal painting he'd done for her by the cliffside in the supplies brought from Beacon. Cinder hesitantly accepted the gift, looking it up and down. Horatio did not notice the stump of her left arm raise slightly, attempting to feel the side of her face before remembering it was no longer there.

"I can replace the frame; I only made the one copy so Mercury and Emerald will need to go without…"

Cinder turned, shaking her at his offer, she wanted it as it was. Carefully she placed it on the nearby desk turned slightly just enough so she could see it.

"I could…make another one of you if you wanted," he started hesitantly. "They brought in most of my art supplies last week, maybe…"

A chill breeze passed through the room causing Horatio's muscles to tense up. He had been in the keep long enough to know what that meant. He inhaled deeply, mentally preparing himself.

 _She is here…_

"How is our Fall Maiden doing today?" Salem asked, having seemingly materialized in the doorway.

"She is recovering well," he reported, standing to his full height like a soldier. "I do not believe she should yet be placed under any undue strain, but she is improving."

"Watts said the same."

Salem glided into the room, her gaze ran over all of the additions with a look of dull amusement, scrutinizing all until she saw the portrait now resting on the desk. Horatio immediately regretted having brought it in.

"Such a beauty you were," she mused out loud, picking it up and stroking Cinder's image softly. "So much taken by that girl with the silver eyes…"

 _Don't listen to her Cinder,_ he screamed in his head yet dared say nothing out loud. _Don't let the hate fester, it will eat you from the inside out. Was this how Salem talked to her before she went to Beacon?_

"Her beauty was untarnished by the battle your Grace," Horatio proclaimed in absolute honesty. "A diamond cut into a different shape is still a diamond." Even Cinder had to restrain herself from gagging at that line, genuine though the meaning may be.

"Of course, and you, loyal Guardian," Salem set the portrait down and turned her attention to him. "You have tended to her so faithfully these many weeks despite your previous allegiances. Ask anything of me, if I can grant it I shall."

 _Call off your war on Remnant? Let Cinder and I leave for good without repercussions?_ He doubted any of his true requests would be honored. He hoped to duck the question and remain as vague as possible.

"I only wish to be able to serve further…"

"You WILL serve further," Salem's red eyes grew brighter for an instant as her stern voice burned through him. "That is no reward, ask…and you shall receive."

Horatio glanced over to Cinder, her look equally nervous while awaiting his answer. Finally settling on something he opened his mouth.

"Well, Dr. Watts feels Cinder may be able to stand in a few days. Fresh air always does a person good for healing. Perhaps we may be given leave to walk the grounds when that time comes?"

 _As close as this place can have to 'fresh air.'_

Salem pondered his request, her eyes still looking into him; he knew he would never get used to it. "Done," she replied at last with a thin smile. "From this day forth, I shall ensure none of my Grimm do you harm outside these walls while still within my domain."

"Thank you, your Grace," he replied, bowing low before her.

"Your heart is still soft," Salem whispered as she moved past him to leave. "As it stands you are but embers playing house trailing behind an inferno. If you wish to truly stand by her side in all things, harden your soul for what is to come. After Cinder can fend for herself…you shall join me."

Horatio had no words of retort as Salem left the room, warmth finally returning.

"Would…that be ok?" He finally asked, realizing he had not approached Cinder about traveling outside the walls before.

Cinder looked down at her lap, her fist noticeably clenching and face contorting into a scowl for a moment, however with a headshake she looked up, the slightest hint of a smile now in place. She nodded, sliding her hand up and down her own chin and mouth while glaring at him, her message all too clear.

You need a shave.

 **Present Day…**

Guilt shot through Ember but he pushed away Ruby's words as best he could upon returning to the map, looking for the nearest town s he worked to bandage the still-bleeding cut on his face from Nora's swing. His eyes shot wide as he saw the name 'Kuroyuri' was still listed, perhaps the map was outdated. The name rolled around in his mind, he hadn't heard it in years. That damned village, the same place…

 _The same place dad died, why would that be the closest of all places?_

Folding up the map he strengthened his resolve, the buildings should still be standing and he could hunker down inside until Ruby was no longer at deaths door…if she could fight it of course. He picked up the beaten huntress carefully, carrying her as one would a bride while silently praying Cinder would never know. The thought of his Maiden brought a terrifying question to darken his thoughts.

 _What if she hasn't changed her mind, what would I be taking Ruby to? She needs to face Ruby to move past that night…but how will she handle seeing the woman responsible for taking her arm and eye, and most of all...her unshakable confidence?_

 **Cinder's knight heads for a town that plagued his family for years with his Maiden's target in hand. In Menagerie, Esmerelda grapples with the roots of her past as Sun helps Blake through her own. As Always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	46. Memories of Darkness before the Light

**Constipated Genius: Indeed, Flynt gets MVP of the chapter preventing Jacques' slap. As for Yuma…we can only wait and see ;)**

 **deathwing17: I am so glad! Indeed that is inevitable in some cases, I built my story on the OCs causing the changes to canon so when there is no input even distantly it can go very similarly.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Indeed, and that time is now! xD**

 **Amelia: In a way he already is trying that, his request before leaving was for Cinder to spare Ruby, whether that is heeded or not has yet to be seen. You are right on that lol; she wants to protect her knight…but would not be fond of his use of her antivenom.**

 **bookwrym321: You are correct, the White Fang masked individual he spotted I intended to be Ilia following them. Under normal circumstances you would be right…though years in Menagerie among the White Fang after Ezzy fled left its mark on him…**

 **CatPeople WithGuns: LOL understandable, hopefully it can help fill that need as I continue.**

 **Batomys2731: No need to apologize, never feel any requirement to review though it is appreciated :D. Thank you, much like other characters, I loved his design yet he got so little time. I hope my updates are not TOO far apart lol.**

 **And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!**

Roland jabbed forward, firing Ember Celica. This time he rotated to fire three chambers at alternating intervals around the gauntlet, it was much harder than Yang made it look. He succeeded as the three rounds blasted forward; decimating the boulder he had dragged into the field near the house. He liked to think he had improved somewhat since Yang had shared the secrets to mastering the right half of her weapon she could no longer use. With a final huff of breath he leaned forward to relax, the gauntlet retracting into the gold bracelet.

"Good show," the familiar sound of the blonde huntress' voice drew his attention and a smile. She made her way over, still wearing the Atlesian prosthetic. More and more she had been treating it as her actual arm, he was pretty sure she only took it off for bed now. "Care for a third round?"

"Please," he raised his hands in a feeble gesture followed by a chuckle. "Between you, Pyrrha and your dad I think I've had enough for one day."

Yang nodded mercifully, remembering the savage beatings he had taken, Roland was no offensive fighter. His tactics expecting there to be a shield protecting him as he fought was evident in his style. He was full of openings that she took FULL advantage of. They both got practice and training; Yang even started improving her holding techniques. It was entertaining to have Roland immobilized beneath her and her father's restrained parental instincts each time she did it.

 _Speaking of openings in his style…_

"You said you wanted to show me something?" Yang asked as he picked himself up, a wide grin on his face as she reminded him.

"Pyrrha wanted to hold off…but I can't wait!"

Wide-eyed and excited, he led her around to the shed, making sure she kept her eyes closed as he guided her inside, squeezing her hands as he did so and bringing a smile to the young girl's face.

"Aaaaand…open!"

Yang complied, eyes squinting to adjust to the darkness of where she and Ruby had both perfected their weapons of choice. A medium-sized round shield sat on the bench still partially under construction but it was obvious the hard part had been done. She recognized a few of the features immediately; it was Roland's no doubt.

"There wasn't enough material to rebuild the missing half," he explained as she looked it over. "So Pyrrha felt that shearing it down into a new shape would work, I had some designs for improvement and she knew EXACTLY how to implement them. I'll be adding an outer section with leftover metal to give it greater surface area. The half-moon opening is to allow me to take pot shots while still…"

Yang was barely listening, realizing that he had redone the paint job across the face of his aegis. Before, the emblem had been a cross painted within flanking laurel wreaths. Now however a radiant, though admittedly mediocrely painted, sun was resting within them.

"Why did you change your family crest?" Yang asked, shocked that he would make alterations to something so important. Roland looked confused before realizing her meaning.

"Oh, nonono, the cross was never my family sigil; it's the laurel wreaths that are important."

The young huntress shrugged her shoulders, not understanding.

"The laurels represent our resolve, our strength to protect what we cherish most." He started to glance away awkwardly as he explained the next part. "What is inside the laurels are what we fight for, the cross was my dad's before he married mom. This…is mine."

"A sun?" Yang could not hide her smile, shaking her head at what kind of man he was. "You already have me you know," she fell back on her comfort zone of jokes. "You don't have to work so hard."

"Hey, if it makes you feel better that was my second choice. I wanted an extravagant gold dragon…but I have no talent for painting."

 _That was all Horatio…_

"Is that a dust generator?" Yang noticed his smile drop at that last remark and worked to change the subject. She recognized a small device half exposed being installed within.

"That…I have been working on," he admitted embarrassed. "I had a plan but it's been problematic. No matter what I do I can't get it working."

"Dust can be pretty unstable, that is why I settled on using ammo in mine rather than full crystals."

"I suppose, I just had this great idea for…"

As he spoke, Roland slapped the surface of the shield hard mostly out of frustration. Unbeknownst to him he had left a small shard of dust in the compartment when last working on it and had forgotten to remove it before leaving. His impact set off the device and detonated the fragment, nothing bigger than a small firework display, but enough to cause an unexpected boom resounding throughout the shed.

"Geez, sorry I…"

To his horror and pounding guilt, Yang's hand had started to shake and eyes widen with a jump back, the sound clearly enough to set off an attack. Roland berated himself over and over internally.

 _I'm a moron! I was too relaxed! I forgot to watch out for that sort of thing! Pyrrha and Tai are inside; I don't want her that terrified for even a second longer!_

Without hesitation, praying he was making the right decision, Roland rushed forward and wrapped her in a secure yet relaxed embrace so she did not feel trapped. In that moment, even though she knew it was him, her instincts all demanded solitude, she raised her new metal fist towards him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated every calming phrase he could think of. "It's just me, Roland. I am here for you; you are at Patch with me, Tai, Pyrrha…"

Yang's fist was about to strike his face, until she suddenly felt a soft sensation. In a bid to calm her down, without thinking he had started stroking her hair, the very same that she would have considered killing if anyone else even touched a single strand. As he continued speaking gently to her, he ran his hands up and down her gold mane still tied into a haphazard ponytail. The touch was so familiar…

 _Just like the day he helped me with my hair to get out of that room, how many people have I allowed to touch it? I could count them on one hand…and how many guys…_

The thoughts seemed to allow her breath to slow, pulse to calm and her vision to clear. All previous instinct to drive him away passed, only leaving a moment of peace. Instead, she unfolded her fist, wrapping it around Roland in a tight embrace refusing to let him go…she couldn't let him go, lest he see the tears rolling down her face if she backed away.

"Maybe," he started with a soft chuckle. "We could get another spar in before dinner."

"I'd like that," was her only reply. Despite their words, neither moved from that spot until the risk of Tai barging in to alert them to the food being ready entered their minds.

 **Menagerie…**

Esmerelda leapt from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of Yuma, he had a considerable lead but she didn't care. She had to reach him, talk to him; surely he would listen to reason..

 _Why would he ever join the White Fang? He despised the way his father acted, what could possibly have…?_

A line caught Esmerelda's leg as she was deep in thought, growing taut in an instant and snapping back. The young huntress was slammed into the ground though was able to drop into a stance on all fours to cushion the impact.

"Who is out…?"

Esmerelda bent backwards as her only reply was a knife hurtling towards her face; the blade passed by so close she felt the wind from it. Watching the weapon, she realized it was attached to another line similar to the one still wrapped around her ankle. That one tugged again, threatening to yank her off her feet. With a quick motion, she drew her naginata, severing the cable and allowing her to parry the knife on its return trip.

"Pity, hoped you'd just be a good girl and let it end fast."

Esmerelda finally caught sight of her assailant, it was a woman with dark grey hair though was clearly rather young, barely older than Ezzy at most. She had a smaller build and was arrayed in the same black attire Yuma had been wearing albeit sleeveless and unzipped just enough to show a bit of cleavage.

 _Is this really the time to show off?_

Esmerelda followed the strands back into the woman's hands where they disappeared within. At first she appeared to be wearing gloves, but upon closer inspection she realized the grey was her hands skin tone with similarly colored veins spreading up her arm, her faunus trait obvious.

 _A spider…_

Esmerelda extended her weapon to a polearm length, generating a pair of clones around her. She could take no chances if she were to pursue Yuma. The spider-girl whipped the knife around her body over and over, bending it around her neck, arms, legs and shoulders, allowing it to twirl in hard to follow, unpredictable paths. She was using her dagger and webbing into a variation of a rope-dart, incredibly hard to master but deadly if successful.

The blade lashed out, forcing Esmerelda to duck as a clone parried it. Impossibly, the rope bent to block her path, somehow wrapping several times around her weapon. Esmerelda pulled back, her clones flying forward yet the woman jumped and twirled between them expertly. Once past them, she twisted to deliver an aerial spin-kick into Esmerelda's head. The force sent her flying to the side and into a wall, the naginata ripped from her hands to clatter to the ground.

 _She's good!_

Spinning her legs, Esmerelda kicked the knife away at the hilt as it flew towards her simultaneously using the momentum to return her to her feet. Her live weapon was down across the field, but she still had the aura clones and created a third for good measure.

"Get out of my way, Yuma…"

"Is with us now, with me and if you want to get to him, you'll have to get through me first."

"Deal," Esmerelda gritted her teeth, a bit of teenage frustration slipping past her military-honed restraint.

She strafed to the side, gripping a glowing purple weapon while advancing, one replica over her shoulder flying forward as the previous had. The mysterious attacker released her web rope, attempting to parry it but Esmerelda's will caused it to recover faster than before. In response, the rope seized the weapon, dragging it to the ground as she spun to lash out.

Esmerelda was in melee range now, slicing clean through the web and causing her clone along with the knife to fall to the ground, but it did not last. A fresh string lashed out from the spider's other hand, retrieving the knife and spinning to wrap around her head. The auburn-haired huntress barely brought a weapon in time to block the knife from slicing her face. It took every ounce of discipline she had mastered to remain focused on the fight while also directing her clones.

"Why…are you doing this?" Esmerelda grunted as the two remained locked in combat, she couldn't get an angle to use her third clone without a risk to hitting herself this close.

"Because Yuma is home with us, you won't be poisoning his mind again like you did as a child."

"*I* poisoned…" Esmerelda's anger reached a boiling point.

The unused naginata faded away, merging with the one in her hand. The previous density matching her own blade started to bend and grow malleable, even the one wrapped within her webs grew limp and freed itself from her grip.

"What?" The girl known as Trifa gasped before Esmerelda elbowed her in the gut, high-kicking to catch her in the chin. After recovering she looked up with shock and awe.

The young huntress in-training had converted her own aura clones into identical copies of her knife and webbing rope. It took far greater concentration due to the unfamiliar weapon design, but her naginata was too predictable, too easy to match against such an exotic weapon. Her face was twisted in a smug grin, one of the few times such a look graced the face of one trained with Atlesian discipline. She released the glowing knife-copy which was dodged aptly, but she had prepared for it. The blade few past, wrapping around her discarded physical polearm. With a flick of her wrist she returned it to her hands now armed with her own blade and copies of Trifa's rope-dart ready to fight.

The spider-faunus renewed her assault, whipping and twirling her rope-knife far more proficiently than before, twisting and bending impossibly to perform attack after attack. Esmerelda was not as skilled with the new instrument, but at her two clones to Trifa's one, she could keep it tied up and busy as she danced in closer. A rope clone wrapped alongside hers like coiling snakes, preventing her from using it in defense. Stepping close, Esmerelda spun, cracking Trifa in the gut as hard as she could with the shaft of her weapon. With a cry, Trifa flew into the nearby shed, cracking the old wood beams as she went through it, her grey-white aura sputtering from the strain.

"Now, you are going to tell me everyt…"

In a flash, Trifa had a line of webbing leading up to the roof, pulling herself up and away. Esmerelda groaned in frustration as she jumped after her, Yuma was long gone and no way to follow, but at least she could pursue her. Between the spider-girl's fast movements and webbing allowing lines between the roofs she was quite fast.

 _The city isn't that big, as long as I can keep her in range I can estimate where she might be heading. The White Fang ARE active here, the General will be…_

"Help, somebody!"

The voice cut through the air, causing the huntress to pause. She would have stopped to help anyone truly in need of aid; however the identity of the voice was unmistakable.

"Blake?"

Following the cry, Esmerelda found her faunus classmate kneeling atop a further roof, hands pressed securely over a bleeding wound in Sun's chest. He had lost consciousness though his features were warped in pain.

"Not again, not again, please hold on."

"What happened?" She asked as she landed gracefully, unwrapping the shawl from around her waist to bind the injury.

"Ezzy! We…I saw a White Fang member. We fought her and Sun…he got hit! We have to get him somewhere safe."

"I faced one too; will your parents' house be safe? They have guard details don't they?"

Blake nodded quickly as she and Esmerelda wrapped one of Sun's muscular around her neck. Blake did the same as they pulled him to his feet.

"It isn't too far from here, let's go. Be careful and hold him steady…just like that."

 **Forest in Anima…**

Olivia collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, the remainder of Team RNJR behind her. They had been running for hours since pursuing Cinder's knight yet had made seemingly no headway against him. No matter how hard they pushed themselves he always stayed ahead somehow. It finally came to the point they had to rest, however briefly.

"Just a…few minutes," even Nora was tired. "Has he deviated at all?"

Olivia shook her head; pointing forward in the direction they were headed. It was almost as if their quarry was not truly trying to throw off pursuit, but was simply moving as fast as possible.

"Is there anything in that direction?" She asked, checking Jackal once more to ensure she would be completely ready once the fight started…if they could catch up. Jaune pulled out their map, trying to judge their direction and location. He was burning up in his armor keeping such a pace, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"The next village is a few days out, the only thing before then in that direction are ruins. The name is scratched out; I guess it was destroyed a while back."

Nora's ears perked up, with their travel through the area she hadn't thought about where they were exactly, though an uneasy suspicion creeped into her mind exacerbated by Ren's terrified expression. The two had been together ever since…

"What is the name of the ruins?" She asked quietly.

"Kuroyuri."

Ren noticeably tensed, the pink Valkyrie knew him too well. He wanted to voice his desire to avoid them at all costs, that she must surely be incorrect…but with Ruby's safety on the line he swallowed his fears and uncertainties.

 _You dummy, of course I don't want to go back either…_

 **Years Ago…**

A young girl ran through the streets of Kuroyuri, a loaf of bread in-hand. She had been ecstatic to have seen so much food thrown out and was quick to seize it, but she'd been too careless, a pair of boys no older than eight had spotted her and were giving chase. Normally she was much faster, better at staying hidden as she had the days since coming across the village, but she was so hungry, so tired. She rounded a corner hoping to lose them.

A third boy was waiting for her while the other two chased, she saw him too late as he reached out to grab the bread in her hands. The girl ducked but lost her footing from the woozy feeling of hunger that blurred her vision and tumbled to the hard ground. The delay gave enough time for the other two to catch up and surround her.

"Hey, where'd you get that bread?" One shouted mockingly as the rest followed his lead.

"I didn't see you pay for it, thief!"

"Ew look it's all moldy!"

As the bullies continued berating her, she spotted a fourth boy in the distance. He had short black hair with a tuft of pink wearing a green robe and white pants looking much more proper than the ones before her. She did not recognize him from any who had accosted her in the past, he looked absolutely terrified as if he'd come across the scene by accident. It looked like he didn't know what to do and was frozen in place as a result of his indecision.

"Did she get it from the trash?"

"Let me see!" One of them reached out towards her only source of food. Snapping back to the children before her, in desperation the street urchin lashed out, chomping down hard on his outstretched fingers.

"OW! She bit me!" He cried out in pain and surprise. In retaliation he shoved her hard, throwing the starving orphan to the ground and sending the bread sliding away.

She didn't care about the kids; she had come to expect it from them around town. Their parents raised them to believe they were superior to the rest of the kingdom, of course they would assume the same of those around them. She did, however care about her next meal, with utter desperation she scrambled after the bread, her heart turning to ice as she realized it had slid next to the heavy boot of an adult.

Looking up, she spotted a tall man wearing a heavy royal blue trench coat with round armored pauldrons on both shoulders and a breastplate under the coat. His pants were dark and thick leading down to steel-toed combat boots. He had lighter brown hair just starting to grey and piercing blue eyes. Across his back was slung an impressive elaborate sword longer than she was tall, his eyes looked gentle yet confused…until they rounded on the hoodlums. He was carrying a white bag filled with various goods and foods as if he'd just come from the market square.

"What is going on here?" He demanded in a commanding voice.

"Just cleaning up the trash," the first boy remarked to the accompaniment of the others. "Having a bit of fun."

The man kneeled down, looking between the girl panting in terror at his sight and the mold-covered bread to the side. He smiled reassuringly as he reached into the bag, producing a fresh loaf baked into the shape of a cat. Tenderly, he broke off a piece and offered it to the girl. She looked at it suspiciously, reaching out ever so slowly…finally snatching it and devouring the chunk in seconds.

"You three should be ashamed!" He turned to the others. "This girl has not had the same blessings as you; it is cruelty befitting a Grimm to wish worse upon her."

"Hey, don't lecture us!" The leader stomped his foot. "My dad pays your salary; if you don't get out of here I'll…"

"You'll tell your father all about how you three were generating enough negative emotions in this girl to draw in a pack of creepers from the surrounding forest?" He snapped, causing the three to pale. "I thought there was an increase in activity this week; shall I report to your parents my professional assertion of what is causing it?"

The three boys scrambled at the threat, turning down a nearby alleyway and beating a hasty retreat. They were gone in a matter of seconds, giving the huntsman time to return to the girl still frozen in fear.

"I am sorry about that," he apologized. "Do you have a home or anyone you know in town?" After letting her frantic breathing subside at his kind words, the girl shook her head slowly. "Where are you from?"

She gave no answer.

"That bread is no good, you can make yourself sick. How about we make a deal instead?"

The girl raised an eyebrow.

"I'll give you this entire loaf," he motioned towards the one he still had in his bag. "But in exchange we find a nice place for you to live in town. There are kind people here, I am sure…"

"What are you doing here?"

Her savior turned as another adult approached. This one looked much sterner with grey-streaked black hair with a matching goatee. His attire was that of a sleeveless green vest over a white long shirt and black pants. He had a hand on the shoulder of the boy she saw from before who had his head lowered in shame at his inability to do anything.

"Li! Just setting a few of the other youngsters straight." He approached the archer and embraced him in a hug between comrades. "I am afraid the situation is a bit more complicated," he motioned towards the young orange-haired girl.

"Who is she?"

"She won't talk," the huntsman sighed as he lowered his voice. "Might be a survivor of an outlying village, the Grimm have been more active to our neighbors. I hate to ask but…"

"I will need to speak with An," the older man interrupted, guessing his purpose. "I am certain she will not object. Can you watch her for the night? We have enough troubles from normal Grimm packs to not worry about our own citizens adding to them."

"Thank you, of course if I can convince her to trust me," the tall huntsman waved to the boy at Li's feet who kept his head down nearly on the verge of tears. "Tell An I said hello."

As Li took his son and left, the huntsman in charge of Kuroyuri's defenses returned his attention to the girl, thankful that she hadn't taken the opportunity to run.

"Is that alright?" He asked kindly. "You can get a good meal, rest and tomorrow we see about finding a home for you." She looked nervous but after several moments nodded as he placed the full loaf in her hand, stressing her to take the bites slow and steadily. "Do you have a name?" He finally asked as he took her hand and they started towards his house across town.

"N-Nora."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Nora, my name is Hattori. I have a little boy about your age. When my family moves here I am sure he would love to meet you."

 **Mistral Farm…**

 _ **It is imperative we leave as soon as possible. I am sorry but we have no choice in this.**_

Oscar continued milking the cows for the morning chores, having resolved that he was unwell and to ignore the voice. Despite this Ozpin's assertions, he refused to engage with him in conversation hoping to outlast the voice. He continued on his daily routine as the assertions continued.

 _ **You didn't see it in a book, how could you remember the smell and taste of the coffee if you had? We can help so many people out there; I need to get in contact with my associates.**_

Oscar remained resolute as he collected eggs; they had no further trouble with any snatchers. Both he and the voice in his head theorized the lone Grimm must have been one that strayed from the pack before it moved on. Most of the time, the instincts of smaller Grimm kept them away from large settlements. It had likely grown bold out of necessity though they worried it may have been stealing eggs to lure out prey one at a time.

 _ **Many people could be hurt and are at risk while we stay here, we must head to Haven at once.**_

Ozpin was getting desperate; Oscar could hear it in his voice. He had started out assuring him all the good he could do and to get him off the farm for something more. When that hadn't worked he moved on to a greater mission and convincing him what he saw in their memories was real and not a dream. Now it almost seemed like he was trying to guilt him. Oscar wasn't having any of it; he would stand his ground even if…

 _ **I have many enemies, if they find out I am here no one on this farm will be safe.**_

Oscar had been cleaning the barn out, bucket of water and rag in hand. At those words, however he dropped both. Falling to his knees he gripped his head in frustration, tears welling in his eyes.

"I don't want to…"

 _ **Neither do I.**_

"But…my aunt…"

 _ **Will be much safer with us as far from here as possible, of that you have my word. Sometimes…we have to give up the things we love most for the greater good. If nothing else please believe me that I know that pain most of all.**_

No matter how much Oscar wanted to argue, he just couldn't. Something deep inside just told him he wasn't lying. Was it his own intuitions, or the foreign invader's? He had to admit to himself, he had dreamed of being whisked away from the farm to far off adventure. But now that the opportunity was literally in front of him…he just couldn't do it.

 _ **Why not?**_ Most unsettlingly, the voice was ever aware of his conflict, part of their bond as he had said.

"I'm scared."

 _ **That is understandable, anyone would be. It does not make you any less up to the task than others whom have been in your place. I will admit there have been more…fitting bonds, but there also have been far worse.**_

"Then how do you know I can even help?"

 _ **Truthfully? I do not, but rarely does anyone know such things starting out. I have strived to protect this world and change it for the best…but I will not lie in that I have made more mistakes than any man, woman and child on this planet. Like you, all I can hope to do is move forward…and hope the future is better.**_

 **Kuroyuri, Years Ago…**

Nora jolted up in her bed uncertain if it had been due to hearing something or merely her nerves. Glancing around, it took her a moment to remember where she was. She was laying on a small bed meant for a child, the huntsman leading the city's defense, Hattori Soplar, had given her permission to use it. After a meal and preparing a bath for her, she had been exhausted. Apparently the room was meant for his own son who had yet to relocate to Kuroyuri with his wife.

The bed was covered in sheets the same color blue as most of the huntsman's attire. The walls were half painted and appeared to be depicting snow, fallen leaves and green fields; clearly he hadn't prioritized finishing the room yet. In the middle was a table with a lamp of a design she had never seen before. Nora became fascinated with the device, there was a light source inside that when turned on threw shapes onto the walls. Timidly, she clicked the switch on.

The light shined through the silhouettes as it started to spin. Nora looked up in wonder as each one showed what looked like a step of dancing with the shattered moon overhead. Each step had the moon in a different phase, making it easier to memorize the particular shape below. A man and woman embraced as they went through the steps of the complicated dance, the young orphan could not help but smile a she imagined herself doing the same.

Making her way into the kitchen it became evident Nora was alone; Hattori must have left for one reason or another. His half-eaten meal was growing cold on the table; a small display was set up with five extinguished candles sitting upon it.

The smile on her lips died quickly as a blood-curdling scream cut through the air, the same noise that had roused her from sleep. Memories of her hometown flooded back, she had prayed this new one would be safer…she was wrong. With hesitant, terrified steps she peeked out the front door.

The stinging smell of something burning reached her nose first, forcing her to cover it with her hand. A great black plume was rising from the other side of town; unbeknownst to her it was the main gate. The richer inhabitants had spared no expense on the defense, automated turrets and dust cannons meant to keep out entire hordes of Beowolves. Yet, despite their preparedness, the sounds of cannon and gunfire had long since gone silent.

People were fleeing from the smoke, clearly knowing more than she did. She blamed herself for growing so accustomed to the comfortable bed, the soft sense of peace that let her drift into such a deep sleep. Had the Grimm followed her? That fear would haunt her for years to come.

"Li! Look out!"

She heard his voice, the huntsman who had taken her in, not far ahead from the sounds of it. As her heart lifted with hope it was quickly dashed. The wall between her and the next street exploded as a body came flying through, it was Hattori. He was battered, bleeding badly and his left arm was clearly broken. The mighty sword on his back was held in his last good hand and he spat blood as he rose to his feet. He did not spot her hiding beneath the nearby porch.

"What is going on Hattori?" Li asked as he looked over his friend's injuries. "Your aura…"

"I don't know!" His normally confident and stoic friend shouted in pained frustration. "This…this has never happened before, I can't reconstitute it!"

A sickening shriek from the entrance cut through the air, causing the two warriors to look onward in terror. Li Ren drew an arrow and fired into the smoke, clearly believing it was a useless gesture as something large and black moved within it.

"Get An and Lie," Hattori shouted. "I'll slow it down!"

"It will kill you!"

"Just get your family, Nora, whoever else you can and RUN!" Hattori gripped the sword in his hand that looked almost too heavy to wield now. Groaning in pain he ran towards the dark shape…the last Nora ever saw of him was disappearing into the smoke obscuring the monstrous silhouette and a crackling boom from the weapon in his hand. None knew that his final thoughts were an apology to his wife and son; he had tried so hard to find a place for them to live safely…

The terrified girl couldn't move, even as the horrific Grimm killed everyone nearby and moved on. Not even as the hordes moved in its wake, she just huddled there clutching her arms. She refused to move…right up till the moment a familiar green-robed young boy found her. He held her close, hiding their emotions with his newly awakened semblance…and the unbreakable bond between them had been forged.

 **Present…**

Nora squeezed Ren's hand tight, both of them recalling the horrors of that night. Not everyone the young girl had met had perished; he had survived and been by her side all this time. It took every ounce of energy in her body not to throw herself into a hug right then and there, they had no time.

"Okay, enough rest," Jaune called out to the still tired pursuers. "Olivia, lead the way…we have to keep moving and find Ruby at all costs."

 **Mistral Farm…**

"Do you think the coast is clear?"

 _ **How would I know?**_ The voice asked almost patronizingly. _**We are bonded, I can literally see no more than you can.**_

Oscar shrugged admitting the ridiculousness of the question, slinging the satchel over his back he peeked outside the door. As expected, the field was empty, he'd prepared his supplies for the trip but food would be noticed missing almost immediately. In order to make it out unseen he'd have to grab what he could and head out once his aunt went to sleep.

The young boy snuck onto the porch, creeping into the house being sure to avoid each of the notoriously noisy and creaky boards. Once he was inside he could pick what food he needed having carefully decided how much could go missing but not cause an issue for her and the other farmhands. He'd never live it down if he caused even more trouble. He'd even spent the previous night writing a heartfelt farewell note asking her to forgive him and that she didn't have to worry. He ended with true thanks for how she had watched over him since his parents died and he would always be grateful.

 _I can leave it on the table; it's the first place she goes every morning. She'll be sure to…_

A sudden light source caused the farmhand's joints to lock up. He froze as if the illumination had some power over him, yet it was not the newfound radiance that caused him to pause, but the absolutely livid older woman sitting at the dinner table. His Aunt Melanie was in a dull green robe, arms crossed over her chest with fingers tapping aggravatingly, her look bored into his eyes at having caught him in the act.

"Going somewhere?" She asked quick and harshly.

"I…"

 _ **Calm down son, that is a look of concern, not anger.**_

"You aren't very subtle," she explained without any provocation. "Did you think food was the ONLY thing I monitored? How often do you do your own laundry? And then not bothering to put the clothes away, a map of the region, then there was emptying out your little rainy day fund…

 _She knew about that?_

"I," she sighed, finally standing to her full height. "I just want to know that you aren't doing what I think you're doing."

Oscar turned his head away; he could never lie to her.

"Why?" She asked almost begging. "Aren't you happy here? Haven't I, Hanz and the others worked to keep you safe, to…?"

"It's not that!" Oscar interrupted immediately before she came to the wrong conclusion. "I just, I have to go. I want to be a huntsman," he told the truth to an extent. "I can do so much out there that I can't here."

"So you'll go out there," she was almost on him. "Fight the things that took…"

Oscar reached out instinctively, hugging his aunt tightly, causing her to freeze at the sudden action.

"I know you just want to protect me," he started much to Ozpin's pride. "But if I just stay here, I'll just be hiding. No matter how scary it can be out there…I want to try."

"I won't allow it," she answered quickly as they parted, stomping her foot defiantly. "So help me I'll tie you down in that barn!"

Oscar let out the hints of a smile, he knew she was grasping out of concern, but he couldn't back down now.

"I'm 14 auntie, I'd get out…maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually you'd have to let me out. Maybe next time you went to the fair…"

Oscar stopped as soon as he saw the tears in her eyes; it took all the resolve backed by the voice in his head to stand his ground. It wasn't just to see the world and help others; it was to keep her safe. At the very least he owed her that much.

"Thanks auntie," he leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek. "I'll write whenever I can, maybe meet a knight or two I can send your way."

"Well," she sniffed back the tears. "You can't very well go unprepared can you?"

She reached under the table, pulling out a backpack. Based on the shape it was filled to bursting with supplies, food and bottled water. There was enough to last him at least several days in case he had difficulty making it to the nearby town. Oscar could only look slack jawed at the provisions his aunt had made in advance.

 _ **What a remarkable woman.**_

 _You can say that again._

His Aunt Melanie leaned forward, giving him one last squeeze stronger than before. For a moment Oscar feared she would follow through on her threat to hold him there by force. Only a moment though as he reciprocated the hug not even caring that the voice in his head was surely watching.

 _ **I'll…give you two some privacy, take all the time you need.**_ At those words he departed and for the first time in many long days, Oscar was alone with his thoughts.

 _What am I getting myself into?_

 **Salem's Domain…**

Cinder stumbled into her room, she had been training with Salem for hours and the exertion had taken its toll. The young Maiden couldn't even summon the fire in her eye any longer and each step was more grueling than the last. Emerald, ever loyal to a fault, had tried to help her but she refused. Despite that, the green-haired illusionist hung near Cinder, just waiting for a moment she might be needed. Despite her most scathing look, she remained close, risking whatever punishment might follow.

"Please Cinder," Emerald stressed. "This won't help to do this to yourself. Just let me…"

"Silence," Cinder quickly signed with her right hand, the left still obscured beneath the red sleeve. Emerald swiftly complied.

"Hor…Ember asked us to look after you," she admitted. His request had been quite clear before his departure. "You did command us to listen to him after you right?"

Cinder shot another annoyed glance, Emerald looked down yet continued to stand there. After recruiting her, Cinder had treated her as a tool, she was useful and her talents were instrumental in the fall of Beacon. Ever since meeting…him, Cinder could not help but see that same devotion, that same drive to help despite no reason in return that she could understand.

 _She's just like him…just like…._

 **Months ago…**

"This next step is a bit tricky, be careful not…" Horatio tried to warn Cinder who scoffed at his warning silently. Despite her assurance, he was still hovering near her, a hand around her waist while holding her right in case of any stumble or slip.

It had been several days since Cinder was able to stand again. Slowly but surely they had been expanding her range that she could move on her own. Finally, it extended beyond the castle walls, allowing the two to walk about the grounds. As Salem had promised, the Grimm gave them a wide berth, however the freedom did not extend to Mercury or Emerald, the latter especially looked on sadly as she was forced to remain within the confines of the Keep.

They had mostly walked in silence save for Horatio's occasional worries or positive reinforcement of her progress. They had not heard back from Salem or Merlot of this replacement they were working on and that worried him. What form of prosthetic could take so long to implement? Cinder made signs with her right hand demanding him to calm down.

 _At least Emerald knew that sign language she taught us, she is amazing…I can see why Cinder recruited her. Now if Cinder just doesn't notice for a few more minutes…_

Horatio only subtly guided her movements but it was enough to keep her from noticing in her state of focus. After Salem had granted them permission to leave the keep, he had made his own rounds, picking out the perfect place with flat surface for her to walk. That wasn't the only thing he was looking for…

Cinder looked up as they rounded the corner, not far ahead was a pavilion made out of the strange crystals that dotted the landscape. What was it doing there? Had Salem used it once upon a time? When he came across it originally, everything had a thick layer of dust…it had not been cleaned in some time. Horatio took up that task himself, making the crystals sparkle anytime it was Emerald or Mercury's turn to watch over their Maiden. They glimmered off the moon high in the sky; several benches had been prepared leading their eyes to what he had set up in advance…a lone easel.

Cinder immediately tugged in the opposite direction, Horatio held firm but relaxed his grip in case she truly was against it. She glared menacingly into his eyes as her lone hand repeated the same word over and over again.

"No."

"Please," Horatio begged, pulling out the best smile he could muster after so long in a place of darkness. "I want to, just like when we met remember?" He knew she did, her reaction at the team portrait assured him of that. "Just because you lost…so much," his eyes instinctively fell to her left eye and nonexistent arm. "Doesn't mean you should let it eat away at you, you're still so much more than that I…"

He hesitated as Cinder looked up expectantly awaiting his next words that never came as his courage failed.

"I…please, just give me one chance. If you don't like it, you can set it aflame…I swear."

Cinder's resistance noticeably abated, after several moments she replied with a single head nod and raised finger to stress this was his one chance. She looked down at her attire, a long red dress that obscured far more of her than the old one he had seen her in by the cliffs. This was especially prevalent in the long sleeves, the left of which hung limply at her side while the right nearly blocked her entire arm down to the hand. She had worn long dark stockings hiding her legs and scars upon them from the world. She refused to show any skin below the neck, he had not seen her tattoo since the fall.

"It's too bad to don't show it anymore," he started softly, speaking his mind. "The tattoo was beautiful." Cinder glanced over to him, signing in such a way that made him blush like they were back at Beacon.

"Trying to get me to show more skin?" She actually allowed a smug mischievous grin to break through her solemn expression. He hadn't seen that look in a long time.

Cinder took a seat, sitting up straight and proper as she placed her hand over her lap to await his attention. It did not take long before the smile was on his face again, pencil in hand he started immediately. The two remained like that, him working as she modeled. Unlike the previous year, he had no classes and she no duties. Neither had anywhere they needed to or would rather be. He had brought food that lay in a nearby basket so they could take short breaks and continue as much as they could. The time of day never seemed to change, despite all that, deep down he just didn't want the moment to end. The young man would talk about everything he could such as the lessons with Emerald and how she had cared for Cinder with him, or sparring with Mercury to blow off some steam and keep in shape. The silver-haired assassin was still quite sore over the initial loss at Beacon and was eager for a rematch.

"Aaanddd…this could be a good stopping point," Horatio alerted her as he laid down the last of his utensils. He had no idea how many hours they had been painting but his hand was cramping and even Cinder looked to be wobbling somewhat. "We can come back tomorrow and finish, perhaps…"

Cinder stood as soon as he had given her approval to move, with careful steps she walked around to view the canvas. As always, the details were immaculate despite being uncolored, the lack of which drew attention to her face as before. He seemed to have used a curve in his style that made her features more rounded, nonetheless it was like staring at herself and she took in all she saw, her missing arm, her eye, the barely visible scarring behind her styled hair. It was clear he had drawn her scars in a softer manner, somehow making their presence and her missing left arm appear as natural as any other part of her body. And then there was her smile.

The Fall Maiden was wearing a content smile, like a normal girl posing for a family picture. As Horatio had done before, he had not drawn the flat, composed expression Cinder had chosen, but instead what he saw in her as her happiest. If one was to look at it, they would guess that she had healed, come to terms with what happened and her future plans…

 _That I've become complacent…_

Cinder turned to Horatio, eye narrowing towards him. Just like in the bedroom, she wrapped an arm around and pulled him close. Without warning she locked his lips around hers in a kiss as they had on the dance floor of Beacon. It was unexpected, but not unwanted and he reciprocated gladly. They were so consumed by each other, that neither felt a gentle breeze blow past and for the first time in ages, autumn, however briefly, visited that dark realm of destruction.

Finally, they parted and only then did Horatio spot the stern expression on Cinder's face, one not so different from the first time he had seen her true face beneath the coliseum of the Vytal Festival. He realized too late his error.

Cinder snapped a finger, in an instant the half-finished portrait caught fire and started to burn. Her smile was the first to go, the orange flames spreading outward until the entire easel started to crumble. The crystals nearby were not flammable and would contain the conflagration, but the result of many hours of work was gone. His mouth dropped open in shock though not a word came out as Cinder started to sign.

"Not me. Not weak."

"That wasn't what I intended," he started as she turned to leave on her own. He didn't know what to say to fix this. "Let me try again, I…"

"Stay away."

Horatio's heart plummeted, praying he had misread her sign, yet she repeated it. Even when he tried to help her walk again, she shirked away. He had no way of knowing the turmoil inside Cinder, as the young man who loved her was torn between her and his past life…so was she. The pain and frustration at being seen as anything other than the strongest, the best, even by him, fought inside her and in that moment…she wanted solitude.

Cinder left him standing there at the pavilion, making her way to the room under her own power to rest. Only later did she surmise that is when Salem must have taken him. Indeed she was correct, for not long after she had left did a dark shape approach the lamenting young man from behind demanding his presence elsewhere and none could refuse such a request…

 **Present Day….**

 _Everything can be gone in a moment…I shouldn't have walked away. He was mine, he IS mine._

The worry on her face was obvious, yet Emerald had no idea what thoughts plagued her mind ever since her knight had been bidden to depart with Tyrian. What if he chose his friends, what if he never came back to Salem's Keep now that he was free to roam? Had she any energy left in her body, the door frame she was currently leaning against would be kindling.

"Come," she finally motioned for Emerald to follow. With energy renewed in her eyes she followed, ready to assist at a moment's notice. "You can tell me of all that transpired while I slept."

 _Time can be snatched at any moment…I must ensure to never waste a single instant…not even a second!_

 **Anima…**

 _Why did you do it?_

 _ **I didn't mean to…**_

 _Does fighting mean so much you couldn't help yourself?_

 _ **Just Grimm! I never wanted to kill anyone! I…I even stopped using live rounds!**_

 _Except just now._

 _ **I had to protect Uncle Qrow! I couldn't just let him fight alone!**_

 _And you think that need to protect others will never come back? If you really believe that you are dreaming…and you should probably wake up._

Ruby groaned quietly as the world opened up before her, an intense source of light forcing her to squint. She was sleeping beside a low-burning smokeless fire warming her. In addition to the crackling flames, a wide red cloak was laid out over her like a blanket. Only upon trying to get up did she realize it was impossible, she was bound at the hands and feet, she could do little more than roll though even that seemed an impossible task.

She was so tired, her brow was drenched in sweat from fever and her shoulder burned. Her huntress attire was ripped though bandages had been wrapped around her wound and further down to protect her modesty.

 _Whe-where am I? The last thing I remember is…_

"Good Morning Ms. Rose," the voice drew her attention as a looming black shape obscured the light outside. It was none other than the mysterious knight; half of his helmet had been destroyed though the revealed portion had been covered by the same bandages used to bind her. His cape was gone, clearly being used as the blanket currently covering her body. Naught could be seen save for a red eye staring back at her. "I am overjoyed that you have pulled through the night."

 **Sorry for the delays, splitting between all the characters makes each chapter FAR more detailed than the past lol. Our heroes each confront one another's demons, until next time Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D**


	47. Among the Ruins of the Past

**bookwrym321: I agree about Ghira, and yes I intended the one Sun spotted to be Ilia. Indeed, Yuma has had...changing experiences within the White Fang, I hope you enjoy :D**

 **william bragg 165: Thank you!**

 **deathwing17: I am so glad you like it, admittedly Cinder and Horatio are probably my favorite parts to write.**

 **CatPeople WithGuns: LOL I doubt Remnant could handle such epicness. One galaxy thrown and it'd be all over. XD**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Indeed, Horatio did not realize the depths that Cinder cannot stand seeming weak or complacent. Seeing the way he painted her was too much. That means so much :D Oscar's offscreen development always seemed off to me in canon, he was one I knew had to be updated! Indeed, the ending from before is sure to be...tense...**

 **Constipated Genius: Dragon Shield sounds good to me! It took a lot to write those scenes *sniff* poor Yang, at least now they have a counter to her PTSD. Anytime she has an attack...Roland just strokes her hair to help calm her :D. Oh, if only Horatio knew how close he became to being Nora's foster brother *sob* I know what you mean, a large fully armored individual talking like that would freak me out too! XD**

 **Amelia: Exactly, she may know she wants Horatio among her other goals...but the hierarchy of what matters to her most is still in doubt. In regards to Emerald, unlike canon, Cinder has a reference for was such selfless loyalty is like through Horatio. With that she can see what Emerald goes through and the depths of her devotion. I hope this update wasn't too far off! :)**

 **Batomys2731: That is great to hear, for obvious reasons he won't be featured much lol. The more that comes across from what little we see the better. How right you are with Cinder, he wanted to paint her as he hoped her to be...not realizing she wasn't there and only served to hammer home how changed she was. I will most certainly keep it up!**

 **And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!**

The former heiress held out her hand, focusing in front of her while still fuming. Her father had removed her status as heiress in light of her recent outbursts under the excuse that the fall of Beacon had been too much for her. No one would know the truth, after taking Myrtenaster he'd forbidden Weiss from leaving her room…"she was grounded" he had said. Klein did his best to alleviate the isolation, but the rest of the staff was on the side of her father, none would cross him openly.

 _I…I thought I knew what he would stoop to. To do all of this just to save face!?_

She clenched her hands tightly, a small glyph shimmering on the floor. It was the size of her standard ones yet had a symbol of greatswords protruding from it, the same she had called into being under fire in Beacon. She had been practicing when she was certain no one was watching but it had been slow. Winter explained long ago that summoning took great focus and was easier with a medium to ground her thoughts. Up until recently that had been Myrtenaster, even without it Weiss refused to just sit back and play the role of good girl again. Her frustration was not helping; as it stood she could barely summon a normal glyph to say nothing of summoning which had eluded her for years WITH Myrtenaster.

The sound of knocks at her heavy wooden door broke her concentration yet again, scattering her glyph to the winds. She turned with a huff.

"Go AWAY!" She shouted for the tenth time that day. If it wasn't Whitley mocking her imprisonment it was servants ensuring she was still in her room. She'd had enough.

"Okay," a familiar voice whispered through the door. "But if you don't want this mug of steaming hot coffee…"

Weiss rushed over and threw the door open, the stand-in for the Dust Coalition awaiting her with a mug in-hand. Eyes wide, she grabbed the surprised man by the collar and pull him inside, glancing down each hall to ensure no one saw him.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered harshly, unsure if she wanted to hit or hug him. "What if somebody spotted you?"

"It's good to see you too Weiss," he grinned that confident yet smug expression that drove her nuts. "Thought you could use someone to talk to, don't worry I'll be gone before anyone notices."

"I…" She calmed herself, the frustration of the past few days focusing on Flynt without cause. After a deep breath, she plopped down on her bed with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but…"

"You want to leave?" Flynt knew her mind. "Don't worry, we've got a plan."

Weiss looked up at him, eyes wide in surprise. "We?"

"You have at least one good friend here," he winked. "Just don't let them get ya down; we'll spring ya in no time."

"But, if you are caught…"

"Please," Flynt straightened his tie confidently. "As far as father of the year and his miniature clone will know, you disappeared into thin air."

"Flynt…"

"Ah, don't get sentimental yet on me," he looked away, hiding a spike of warmth on his cheeks. "Save it for when you're free."

A renewed knock caused Weiss to jump; it was much too heavy to be Klein.

"Ms. Schnee," the voice of another maid called out. "I thought I heard voices in there. Are you alright?"

Weiss scrambled for an excuse yet Flynt never budged from his spot as if uncaring that he was about to be caught. Without a sign of worry, he raised a hand to his lips for silence. It was only then that Weiss noticed his tie as her attention was drawn to his chest. While normally light-blue, this one was a softer shade of red, she gasped as the answer came to her.

"We got this," he whispered before shimmering out of existence, his semblance finally dissipating to leave the Schnee daughter standing alone just as the door opened. The older maid glanced around confused, clearly noticing that Weiss was alone

"What?" The huntress-in training remarked as she took a sip of the still-hot coffee. "You've never talked to yourself before? Now if you would leave…I have more practice to do."

 _If I am getting out of here, I'll be at the top of my game by then. Flynt isn't giving up, so neither can I!_

 **Salem's Domain…**

Mercury was ducking, weaving and jabbing. It was his usual routine when Ember was not around to spar against. Emerald was nearby taking aim at a row of wooden dummies, each shot hitting their mark dead center.

Cinder oversaw them, but only passively as she watched their routines. Neither could match her, yet in time perhaps they could become a fearsome force. Compared to the others serving Salem they were pale imitations, but with more time…

She had a book in-hand, eyes drifting over the words which soothed her mind. This one in particular was on the tactics and strategies of the Great War, a fascinating read on how the King of Vale won so many victories. Most of it was surely fictitious as it made no mention of the very items that granted his victory…still, she had to admit many of the downplayed accomplishments were rather ingenious. Cinder stroked back a strand of dark hair that had gotten in her way. Ember had not been paying an empty compliment when he remarked that her hair was growing back. Amazingly, it was progressing much faster than even the good Professor had estimated.

They had limited time before her own training would continue. The recovering Fall Maiden watched over her disciples, ensuring none of their time or movements were wasted. Salem had her elites…and in time she would have hers. The vision was clear in her head, clearer than it had been in many months. Two disciples who could only grow stronger, a knight by her side and one quarter of her desired goal, there was much to do, but it was a start. Her epiphany of utilizing every moment had given her a peace of mind and clarity that eluded her initially since the fall. The frustration seemed to abate every day; it was wasting her time more than anything else.

 _It's almost nothing like it was not too long ago…_

 **Not Too Long Ago…**

Cinder rolled to the side grumbling miserably, it felt like morning. Anyone not accustomed to the realm of darkness could never distinguish the times of day, but she could and it didn't help. She had not slept well; between the pain and inability to speak she was at her frustration's end. On top of that, the image of the latest painting by Horatio, injuries and all, would not leave her mind.

 _How anyone can be so blindingly naïve despite all he's seen is…_

At his thought Cinder only then noticed something was missing, it took her a moment but she soon realized…she was hungry. Every morning since awakening, Horatio had appeared at the ungodly early hours of the morning, breakfast tray in hand. She would grumble, begrudgingly allow him entry and to leave the food before departing. The system had worked until now. There was no smell, no knock and the hour was clearly much later than even his tardiest day. There was no sign of him.

A loud rap at the door startled her, heavier than usual.

 _What took him so long, I swear I'll…_

Instead of the young former huntsman, Salem's hunter Tyrian greeted her, the same smile scarcely holding back the manic nature behind his eyes ever present. It was hard to tell with him, but the sinister scorpion appeared giddier than normal.

"My apologies for waking our Fall Maiden," he announced dramatically as ever, bowing low. "I was sent with a message from our Queen."

Cinder narrowed her eyes in annoyance at him, silently demanding he get to the point.

"She wishes to thank you for allowing the use of your…caretaker for the time being," his smile widened at the restrained but present expression of surprise on Cinder's face. "She wishes to convey that she is hoping to return him in as near to original condition as possible depending on his outlook."

" **Where** …?" Cinder croaked, her voice low and hoarse. Even that much was absolute agony to her yet she let her face betray none of the pain.

"Oh, where she has gone with him I know not nor asked…and neither should you." His eyes narrowed towards her and his voice lowered. When he was carrying the word of Salem, his conviction was unbreakable.

 _Where could she have taken him? Surely still within her domain, perhaps the arena, the pools…the gallows?_

Cinder cycled through each of the areas of Salem's realm she had visited and was well aware of in her time, yet without more information each one was as likely as the last. Tyrian just stood in front of her as if fully aware of her turmoil, grinning devilishly. It was as if he could read her mind; know of the ache that was ripping through her chest she wanted to stop. She could reduce him to a husk with a thought, though knew what would happen if she did…and so did he.

" **Get…out…** "

"Of course," Tyrian bowed low once more. "I was but the messenger, it will be up to your little pet to make it through the days." Turning to leave, he suddenly turned as if his next remark totally slipped his mind. "Oh, and her Grace also commanded to head to the Infirmary…something regarding giving you a hand." He glanced to the stump of her left arm.

Cinder clenched her fist, orange flames licking at her sole remaining eye. Despite the terrifying expression she was exhuming, Tyrian's crazed demeanor and uncontrolled laughter never wavered as he closed the door and departed with a practical skip to his step. The Fall Maiden was fuming; generating an orb of fire in her hand she turned inward and aimed at the first thing she saw.

She hesitated, aiming at the shelf filled with every book Horatio had read as she lay there prostrate after regaining consciousness, the one he had discovered on twin gods was missing, he rarely went anywhere without it. She turned, realizing if she fired she'd hit the table, the map on the wall, even the hideous plants he had brought in. No matter where she looked she saw something else he had brought to fill the room with life. Finally she saw the small desk near her bed, the portrait of Team CRMS staring back at her through those eyes that would never be hers.

Cinder squeezed the fireball in her hand in frustration, allowing it to detonate harmlessly without damaging anything. She was shaking, having so much power at her fingertips, yet in that moment it was all utterly worthless. At last she stood up straight, smoothing out her dress and exhaling with relief that no one had seen her near-outburst as she slowly calmed.

 _He will return, I should control myself better. I will grow stronger, heal and recuperate and when he returns…I will be here._

 **Present Day…**

 _I believed that then, and he did._

Cinder remembered that sense of triumph, of…elation when he emerged through the council chamber doors in his new armor. That had been the first time she laid eyes on him since the pavilion, falling to a knee and professing his loyalty to protecting her. Despite whatever Salem had put him through, his eyes were the same when he removed his helmet on the terrace, when they…before they were separated again.

"Are you prepared?"

Cinder turned; in the doorway was none other than the Mistress of the Keep, Salem herself in all her dark splendor. As always, she was accompanied by her seer, Mercury and Emerald ceased their training at her entrance.

Cinder stood, bowing in reverence before answering with a single nod.

"Excellent…now leave us," she referred to Mercury and Emerald who both hastily complied though a bit slower as they subtly awaited Cinder's confirmation nod.

Salem watched them closely until both were out of the room and the giant heavy doors slammed shut behind. From the shadows obscuring the edges of the arena, a pair of Alpha Beowolves with glowing green eyes emerged. It seemed she would be continuing the same training regimen she had since Ember's departure.

"Now, I want you to…"

A soft clicking sound interrupted her words; slowly she glanced over to the corner bench where a small glass orb lay. The immature eye was rattling, clearly alerting them to an incoming transmission from its partner in a far-off land. Salem turned back to Cinder with a smug grin, easily realizing who it was. With a wave of her hand, the pair of Grimm backed off and laid down passively.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer that?"

 **Mistral Train Station…**

"This is…different," Oscar thought as he plopped down in his seat on the train car heading to The city of Mistral. He'd gone to fairs and other events in towns near the farm but it would be his first time heading to the "big city" as his aunt put it. Fortunately she had provided more than sufficient funds for a ticket and that was no object. Already the train had started moving; they should be in the city by end of the following day.

 _ **This will almost go all the way to Mistral; from there it is a simple walk to the city.**_ Ozpin remarked after a rather lengthy time of silence since the locomotive had started moving.

"Why are we stopping in the city again? Wouldn't it be better to go on straight to Haven?" Oscar asked as he pulled out the book on Haven Academy with the picture of the Headmaster's office he knew so well now. He was getting better at this, trying to help where he could so he was doing a bit more than being a glorified taxi for Ozpin.

 _ **Normally yes, but the Headmaster has been...irrational in his recent actions. I want to rendezvous with another colleague of mine before then.**_

"How will he know to meet us if I'm the only one who knows about your return?"

 _ **He is very reliable and has done well over the years. I can't guarantee WHEN he'll come by, but I know a few hang outs of his. If he is in the city following the trail which I am sure he is or will be soon, then we'll find him.**_

"That's good," the former farmhand sighed as he leaned back. A shadow loomed beside him signifying another passenger wished to enter, likely his neighbor for the trip as the train was packed quite full. "Sorry, is there enough roo…"

The newcomer was an absolute monster of a man, towering so high his hair almost scraped the ceiling. He wore a short sleeved coat in two different shades of green over a black undershirt and matching pants. His expression was flat and unreadable as he slid in beside Oscar, barely fitting into the booth they shared. Why was he just coming by now, the train had been moving nearly an hour by this point and there'd been no sign of him?

 _ **Don't…say…a word,**_ Ozpin's words sent a wave of cold through Oscar's body. Afraid to even think the question of why, he pulled the book up closer to his face hope to obscure his eyes. Unfortunately it was noticed as his neighbor glanced over.

"You don't need to fear me kid," the man muttered in a tone MANY decibels lower than his own. "Appearances can be deceiving."

"O-okay," he stuttered despite Ozpin's warnings. If only to placate the intimidating passenger, he lowered the book to a more natural level.

"Going to Haven Academy?" He asked gruffly, taking note of the book in his hands.

"Y-yes, I want t-to be a huntsman," he could practically hear Ozpin inhale nervously in his head.

"…Why?"

"To help people," his courage spiked somewhat at the simple question though he made sure not to mention the voice telling him to. "It seems like after what happened at Beacon, people willing to do the right thing are needed more than ever."

"You can help people in ways other than becoming a huntsman," he replied coldly, no longer looking at the fourteen-year old. Somehow that made Oscar feel better, he looked out the window as well watching the rocky terrain pass by. "Being a huntsman is not as glamorous as I am sure that book makes it out to be."

"It isn't about glamour!" Oscar blurted out, drawing the giant's eyes back to him. "It's about doing what is right! About doing what I can, b-being a hero," the boyhood fantasy of his came to the forefront of his thoughts. It was unrealistic, he knew, yet that was the first word to come to his mind in that moment."

"Not all huntsmen are heroes. You'll learn that in due course kid."

That line ended all dialogue between them; they just sat there as Oscar continued pretending to read his book as the burly stranger stared forward with crossed arms. He was either sleeping with his eyes open or meditation, they could not tell which.

 _ **That man is very dangerous, with any luck we can just make it to Mistral in silence. Perhaps if we…**_

The train lurched suddenly, throwing Oscar from his seat towards the aisle though he was caught by his neighbor who prevented him from being jettisoned with a single hand. The young boy looked up with an awkward grin of thanks.

"What happened?"

"…Grimm." The bulky neighbor cracked his neck and took to the aisle.

On cue, metal shutters lowered over the windows making it difficult to see outside. The clear sound of heavy cannon fire could be heard from atop the train, many were outfitted in similar ways to fend off attack once beyond the limits of defensible towns or cities.

"What kind of Grimm could possibly have stopped a train?" Oscar shouted as he looked through the blinds as he could.

Oscar spotted the explosion of dirt and debris as the creature punched its way through the cliffside not far. The black body and white mask confirmed its status as a creature of Grimm, but the monster was unlike any the young farmhand had ever read about. It resembled a large worm however its girth had to be as large as the train itself. The mask split open from all sides revealing an immense maw disappearing down its length, the end of which couldn't be seen from how long it was. The remainder of it disappeared into the tunnel from whence it had emerged. Dust shells and heavy ordinance impacted its carapace; however the thick skin seemed to be taking the shots with little effect.

 _ **An Arrakin**_ , Ozpin sighed in his head. _**Sometimes I question if I was cursed with Mr. Branwen's semblance…**_

 **Atlas…**

"And you're certain your father can supply the necessary manpower?" Jacques Schnee asked while leaning back in his chair, hand crossed in front of him.

"We have enough loyal workers," Flynt confirmed, similarly leaning back in a similar manner while crossing his legs. The two silently analyzed one another the entire time yet would never admit it. To an uninitiated outside party, the meeting would have appeared the model of perfection and courtesy. "My dad can have the distribution completed within the month."

"Excellent, it's too bad he was not so cooperative or our partnership would have been much more fruitful before the…unpleasantness."

A soft knock followed by the door opening alerted them that Klein had arrived. He was balancing a rather large silver tray filled with a complete tea set, biscuits, utensils and assorted luncheon foods. Even Jacques raised an eyebrow at how over prepared his head butler was. He could barely carry the tray before setting it down on a nearby table with a huff of relief.

"Your afternoon luncheon?" He asked, pouring a cup for both men and handing them off.

"Please," Flynt accepted the tea with a polite head nod. "It's been quite a while since I had such welcoming hospitali…"

His fingers slipped, causing the cup and its contents to fall into his lap. The young solider and entrepreneur jumped up, dropping the cup to the ground with a clatter.

"Ow!" He winced at the burning liquid, Klein was quickly at the ready, already collecting the broken shards and supplying a cloth for Flynt to wipe himself down with. "Sorry about that Mr…"

"Quite alright young man," he stood up. I am sure we can get you a change of clothes and continue with our discussions straight away."

"Why wait?" Flynt hoped his shades would hide the gleam in his eye. "I got some spare suits, if you don't mind a discussion on the go we can keep the momentum up while I get into nicer clothes…no time to waste after all."

The smile on Jacques face told him he had taken the bait.

"PRECISELY my mindset Mr. Coal, Klein you can get this later. Come, I believe I may have a solution to finding ways around this embargo the good general seems intent on continuing."

Klein shuffled out of the office; the head of the Schnee family was pleasantly surprised when Flynt held the door open for him. He followed behind Jacques and closed the door; he quickly locked it and placed the key in his breast pocket. In that moment, Jacques Schnee had no idea the levels of self-control the young man had to maintain to keep the smile on his face when all he wanted to do was scowl at the horrific excuse for a human being and father in front of him.

"Now then, these loyal workers of yours, do you think they could do a bit more heavy lifting?" The conversation echoed throughout the marble halls, the older man so engrossed in their talks that he failed to notice the hint of a shadow move across the bottom of the office door, signaling movement within.

 **Inside the Office…**

The second Flynt left behind ducked back into the room before his shadow could be spotted beneath the door. The transition had been seamless, as militarized musician held the door open he had focused his semblance and created a clone near indistinguishable to himself save the yellow rim of his hat and tie. He had time to work…but not much.

The safe in the back looked secure yet was not as high-tech as much of the other devices in the room. His only theory was that it had been in the family a long time and Jacques Schnee had never bothered to update it. Who could possibly get so deep into his little fortress undetected?

"Two forward, one back," he muttered to himself. "Three to the left, four right, back, another few…aaaannndd…."

As Klein had informed the combination worked, popping the lock open with a resounding click and silencing any potential alarms for even a single failed attempt. As silently as he could, Flynt pulled the door just far enough to peek inside. It was a treasure trove, for any thief, every item inside was worth a small fortune yet Flynt glossed over them all. Documents on Schnee's business dealings, dust crystals of the purest quantity, family heirlooms, none were what he was looking for. Finally, with a gasp of success he spotted it…a long silver suitcase.

"Please please please please," he chanted as he opened it, verifying the contents. Sure of his find, he snapped the case shut and took it with him.

There was no way out, the moment he set foot out of the office he'd be spotted. He was too far up to climb and the window was securely locked as well. Fortunately, he and Klein had already thought of everything. Approaching the small table, he fiddled with a small nob on the side of the large silver tray the old butler had brought in…far more than it seemed.

The side popped out, revealing a hidden compartment, what the head servant in Schnee manor had used it for himself, Flynt was too afraid to ask. Carefully he removed Myrtenaster from the case and slid it within, attaching the accompanying dust cartridges to slots within to prevent them from moving in transit. Once finished, he returned the case to the safe and sealed it. He had succeeded, his mission a success, once they returned and Klein took the tray away it'd be all set to be returned to its rightful owner.

"We'll get you outta here Weiss," Flynt whispered to himself as the clone faded from existence. "I'll get to help you…and stick it to a Schnee at the same time. Everybody wins."

 **Kuroyuri…**

Ruby was frozen in fear as the armored man entered the house, taking a seat across the flame from her. They were in the crumbling remains of a house now open to the elements. The walls were destroyed and discolored, the barest hint of a snowflake and leaves could be seen on one of the less-damaged patches.

"Where…?"

"You are safe, as are your friends," Ember assured her. "My compatriot's zeal to acquire you caused him to go too far and for that I apologize. Other than that, we will set out for my mistress' realm after rest."

"Cinder?" Ruby struggled on her bindings but it was no good. "Why are you doing this? What did I do to…?"

"You hurt her Ms. Rose," the knight interrupted. "As I said, she wishes to see you."

"To…kill me?" Ruby's face paled as she read his words, he quickly shook his head in response.

"Not as long as I stand, I promised your safety did I not?"

"But I didn't hurt her!" Ruby shouted in frustration, clearly trying to hide how scared she was. "My shot missed…I hit…" She stopped at those words, looking away to hide the tears welling in her eyes. Ember tilted his head almost quizzically.

"You…don't remember what you did to her?" The confused and scared expression told him all he needed to know. She had no idea of what occurred after her eyes turned that terrifying expression, one of pure silver.

"She led the attack," Ruby started to justify. "So many people died, Beacon destroyed, Cinder…"

"I am WELL aware of my Lady's sins," Ember interrupted calmly yet stern with a raised gauntlet. "Such accusations will not sway me if that is your intent."

Ruby looked on shocked, exasperated that he knew and still followed. "If that is true, then you can't possibly believe what she's doing is right! You have a choice to walk away!"

"I can't believe, however much I would wish it," he admitted. "But you are wrong; there is no choice for me here. I don't even want to imagine what she would become if I did something so…selfish."

"So you'll just blindly follow her orders?"

"If I did that then you would already be dead Ms. Rose." He admitted, yet there was no hint of threat or malice in his voice. "Decisions are not so black and white as the fables make them out to be. I care about her, and the best place to help is by her side."

The red huntress had shuffled up into an uneasy sitting position, her hands bound in front of her. She was still panting heavily, the fever passing but not fully gone. She'd be in an exhausted state for several days at least, more than enough time to reach an airship. From her new angle she got a better look at the house they were in. A thick layer of dust permeated the area; clearly nothing had called it home in many years. Broken beams, decaying wood, unfinished and now-flaking wallpaper all painted a picture of what happened to human creations after their abandonment. The nearby table didn't even seem out of place despite a pristine circular indentation in the dust signifying something had resided there until just after their arrival to be claimed by the knight in black before her awakening.

"She's wasting her time," Ruby replied glumly. "It's not like I'd be a threat very long anyway."

Ruby could not tell, but Cinder's knight raised an eyebrow, uncertain to her meaning.

"I did something terrible, something I never wanted to do and had no idea how close I came to it every day until after it happened. I'm working to stop Cinder and whoever else caused the attack on Beacon. But I am done fighting, I…I don't want to hurt anyone. If your partner hadn't attacked my uncle and friends…"

"I heard you were trying to be a grand huntress, like in the fables," Ember remarked, surprised by her words though his voice was noticeably hesitant as if he carefully chose every word. "I find it hard to believe that you'd give that all up from one attack."

Ember saw the tears again, and the façade around his identity began to crack.

"She's going to use you too!" She finally blurted out. "That's all she does, she manipulated everyone at the school, pretended to be our friend but was working to destroy EVERYTHING the entire time." The young huntress was venting all she had bottled up since waking up in Patch and would not be interrupted. "She twists and uses others, she made one of my friends care so much he...he wouldn't admit what she was."

"And leapt before your bullet?" Ruby didn't even question how he knew.

"I killed him all because of her, for his sake I can't just walk away from this, not yet. I'll stop her, then...I don't know, but I won't be anywhere near fighting."

"He wouldn't want that," the knight muttered, his word choice not quite as refined, the voice lighter. He had been unaware of the blame Ruby cast upon herself and it struck him to the core at the realization and cause of her tears. "He died trying to stop an impossible situation as either outcome would have crushed him."

"Is that what Cinder told you? I don't see how someone who can do the things she did could care about anyone."

"In that you are wrong Ruby, she cared for him and him for her…more than you know. A darkened heart is not completely drained of humanity. He would not want you to lose that spark of life because of him."

Ruby's eyes squinted at those words, slowly rising up towards his. His voice had gotten less deep, more casual…and his use of her first name stood out. The words he used echoed a similar conversation she'd had in front of an easel just before her world had crumbled.

"What did you say?"

"I mean," his voice deepened as he turned and fumbled with something in his pocket. "If all goes as I intend you will survive the encounter, it would be a great shame to know you dropped off the map and abandoned your resolve out of fear. I believe it's time to report in."

Ruby looked on confused as he produced a small glass orb from his pack, placing it on a shelf overlooking both of them. He rubbed it gently, causing lights to form within and forcing her to squint. Within a matter of seconds, the shape of Cinder Fall shimmered into being. The young huntress looked her up and down, taking note of the new appearance. She looked more refined yet terrifying in her new robe; the longer left sleeve was obvious and she could almost make out a black mask behind her bangs obscuring the left eye and the rough tissue of a large scar protruding from beneath.

 _Did…I do that?_

Ember fell to a knee before the orb, head bowed low.

"Lady Fall," he started, Ruby could not help but notice Cinder's silent groan, as if annoyed somewhat by his choice of words. "I would like to report success; I am currently seeking a route back to the Keep with Ruby Rose."

Cinder glanced to the side as if checking permission to reply. Her gaze fell on Ruby in the back whom she could clearly see, looking her up and down. A shiver ran through the young girl's spine at her look which at first seemed absolutely terrifying yet flattened after a moment. She looked almost bored or disappointed as if to say "is this it?" She immediately followed up with hand motions Ruby did not recognize though the knight appeared to, his eyes were glued to them, following each movement.

"That is…wonderful to hear. If I may be so bold, have you come to a decision on my request before parting?" Cinder's knight seemed to tense up as he awaited her answer.

The young Maiden's visage darkened, almost in reflex, her right arm gripped the left covered by a wide sleeve. She squeezed it so tightly Ruby couldn't imagine that it didn't hurt, her eyes scowled towards him. Cinder nodded only once.

"WHO?" Ruby finally shouted towards the armored knight once more, this time with purpose behind her thoughts. "Who are you?"

Cinder raised a hand, about to make the signs required to give her command. Ruby could hear the clenching of his metal gauntlets in anticipation.

A loud crash from above drew his attention as what remained of the roof started to cave in. Ember leapt, shoving Ruby to the ground as he loomed over her. The beam crashed against his back, shielding her from harm and was the last image his Maiden saw before the sphere was crushed into fragments.

"Stay down," he commanded as he shook off the debris, ensuring none fell on her. Looking up, he surveyed the cause of the collapse.

A large creature towered over them as high as the building having just smashed through with its elongated arms at the ends of each was talons sharper than any blade. Its body was that of a fearsome horse while the horrific imitation of a rider was fused with its back. The humanoid form merged atop it bore the mask of Grimm depicting a twisted smile with horns bending outward and back, its limbs twitching unnaturally as it scanned the rubble in search of them. It searched greedily, ravenous and desperately to find the sources of the intense emotions which had drawn it away from the mountain cave it called home.

Ember's visage paled behind his mask as he surveyed the monster's body. It was covered in numerous weapons, swords, axes, arrows and other means by which past huntsman and warriors across the decades had attempted to slay it and all failed. What truly caused his blood to boil was an impressively sized sword lodged through the humanoid rider and even into the equine body. It was so deep in the monstrous Grimm that it had held there for many years despite the constant pain it brought. A blade he fully recognized, eliciting a spark of anger which drew the Grimm's gaze upon his, though in that moment Ruby could not determine which was more terrifying to behold…

 **A torn young man confronts the creature responsible for his childhood sorrow. As the cold melts from one former heiress' heart, so too does it gather around his, unleashing the rage of frustration and pain against a more than deserving target. As Always, I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D**


	48. The Enemy of My Enemy

**Bookwrym321: Understandable, we know so little about her in canon it's hard to try and like her when all she's done is "mwahahaha evil" XD Lol, sorry about the cliffhanger, hopefully the wait wasn't too long ;)**

 **Constipated Genius: I was a fan of Hazel's original mysterious yet not completely evil nature. He clearly doesn't see himself as a villain, merely that Ozpin himself is evil and must be stopped at all costs. I guess we'll find out if RNJRR can catch up to them in time...**

 **Gzilla54: In truth...I completely forgot emblems were a thing until early Vol. 2 of my story LOL. Roland has the laurels before with a cross, now with the sun. Olivia has a Pink bullseye on a black backdrop, Ezzy and Horatio I am still undecided...**

 **deathwing17: Thank you, I also found it very out of place that he just sort of changed from wanting Ozpin out of his head to suddenly leaving for the train. It felt like a scene was missing. In terms of Ember, you are right...seeing what his "death" did to Ruby very nearly broke his facade.**

 **CatPeople WithGuns: LOL, burritos would be all Horatio needs to bring her back...such is their power XD**

 **Batomys2731: Thanks lol and sorry for the cliffhanger, blame the pacing! XD I am so glad you liked the Arrakin design. I dunno why but a faceless worm Grimm looked terrifying in my mind, especially when Sand Worm levels of big. I hope you continue to enjoy :)**

 **Amelia: It means so much that you've enjoyed my growing development between Cinder, Horatio and how that affects his friends around him. It seemed off that Ruby never questioned Cinder's new appearance or how SHE did that. This way, she has time to contemplate what that means.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: No problem at all on reviewing late, only do so if you feel the need to. And thank you, I am so glad you loved it! :D**

 **And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!**

"He is around here, he has to be," Olivia alerted the rest as they entered the long crumbled gates of Kuroyuri.

 _ **Fun time boss, give me a few minutes at the reigns. I'll show you a world of a good…**_

Team RNJRR leapt back as the building beside them exploded, a familiar dark-suited individual slamming into the stone pavement and denting it as he slid to a stop a few feet before them. It was Ember, no doubt about it. He had his gunlance drawn yet with only one hand, in the other was cradled Ruby, her body scuffed and bruised. She was breathing heavy, eyes barely fluttering open. From the look of it he had tilted mid-flight so that he took the brunt of the impact.

A dark hatred welled up in Olivia again at his sight, the man serving Cinder Fall, the woman responsible for Horatio's death. She could not blame the thoughts of what she wished to befall Cinder on Hildie, not this time.

"Hey!" Olivia shouted as Team RNJRR took a stance with weapons trained towards him. "Give Ruby back now or else we…" Her threat never materialized as the knight unexpectedly handed the beaten huntress to her, his bandaged and broken-helmed visage turning to her harshly.

"KEEP HER SAFE!" He roared as he turned back towards the wall he had blown through, bringing his gunlance to bear.

The cannonball erupted forth, seemingly hurtling towards no target until the debris cleared. A grotesque elongated limb intercepted the projectile before it could reach, deflecting it harmlessly into a nearby building to explode harmlessly. A second shell was equally as ineffectual. Ember took off running towards the horrific Grimm combining features of a horse and rider, lance extended to skewer his foe. The creature saw the threat, rearing up as the arms grabbed the lance, stopping its advance before it could collide.

"What is that thing?" Jaune asked as Olivia gently slumped Ruby into his arms, her rifle armed and trained on the battle ahead of them. Based on Ren and Nora's terrified expressions mixed with rage, they recognized the unique Grimm before them.

"Get her to safety!" Ren shouted as Jaune hastily complied. Ruby was in bad shape, they would be happy to let Cinder's man and the Grimm fight it out…but they had nowhere they could go and no clue how extensive Ruby's injuries were. Even so, neither Nora nor Ren had any qualms against fighting the colossal monstrosity ahead.

The Grimm, known to the region as the Nuckelavee, gripped Ember in its powerful three-fingered claws, trapping his arms at his side while lifting the man off the ground. He could do little but struggle…and pull the trigger of his equally incapacitated weapon. The dust-infused cannonball struck the ground beside the front right hoof, causing it to stagger and release him. He dropped to the ground just as a high velocity bullet tore through the air, impacting the Nuckelavee in the center of its masked-forehead. The bullet struck and skidded, leaving a trail of minimal damage like a scar across its face. Pink explosions courtesy of the team grenadier detonated across its back, causing it to howl in pain, but not fall.

Ren and Nora strafed around it, trying to split the focus of its impossible long arms as Ember dove beneath, driving the lance into its belly. The horse reared up once more, delivering a titanic kick square in his back, sending the juggernaut flying through another wall. Bullets continued to rain down upon it to little effect as Jaune leaned Ruby against a tree he considered a safe distance, looking her over one last time before joining the fray.

 _ **You're tickling it at best! Just look at the weapon collection its back; you need to get in closer or not at all!**_

 _Shut…up, I can distract it; maybe find a weak point to exploit!_

 _ **And miss out on the fun? Your Jackal might actually do something close up; back here we're as useful as aura on a Grimm!**_

 _I'll switch to the larger rounds, try and…_

 _ **I am tired of playing second fiddle, hope you had fun the last few years cause it's MY turn!**_

Olivia's body seized up, forcing her down to one knee as she squeezed her eyes shut in pain. Her knuckles turned white as they gripped Jackal's barrel and trigger powerfully, she could not move aside from sudden, unnatural twitches.

 _No, you can't!_

"I just did," Olivia's lips whispered in a voice no longer her own. The last vestiges of her blonde hair gave way to silver and shimmered in the moonlight.

After several seconds, she stood to her feet, eyes still shut but fingers caressing the contours of the rifle before sliding up and down her own sides as if investigating herself. Finally, her eyes opened, the spheres found within were a pitch black, the iris' fully obscured by the void consuming her mind. After so many years of isolation, she was free.

"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" She cried with joy, her rifle converting to the SMG and mace form, igniting it with a flick of her arm. "Time for some fun!" With that final announcement, she rushed towards the Grimm in the distance, fully prepared to join the fray heedless of friend or foe unfortunate enough to get between her and the first activity she had experienced for herself. As she sneered with glee, a frantic screaming echoed in her mind unheard by all others.

 **Patch…**

Yang wiped the sweat off her brow as she stood up to oversee her work. A grin of success graced her lips as she looked over Bumblebee which had been woefully unattended during the months stashed away and covered. She had been working all morning since sneaking out of the house supping it up and making the repairs needed to get the old girl up and running again.

The blonde huntress had been quite busy; though it was more for her own preference she had started spray painting her new arm yellow to match her hair and Ember Celica. The others, except maybe her father, were worthless when it came to Bumblebee…not that she would have let any near her baby.

"I don't remember saying you were ready," Tai's voice came through the open door, the older huntsman leaning against it nonchalantly.

"Oh yea?" She smiled back in her usual cocky manner that she loved to use to rile him up. "You're going to try and stop me?"

Tai had been putting her and Pyrrha through the ringer just as much as Roland the last several weeks, even going so far as to give her a rundown of her semblance. He warned her how it was useful for getting out of a pinch, but when over-relied upon would drain her aura needlessly. She fully intended to take the advice to heart.

 _I need…to think, or else something like what happened against Adam will…may happen again._

"No," he chuckled, stretching his arm as if in pain. "I think I'm still too sore after our last fight, the kid is getting handy with that thing too. Never thought I'd see you let someone else use it."

"He's earned it, plus Roland's always been a fast learner."

"I suppose he'll be going with you."

"I doubt he'd say no after I tell him, I haven't exactly been keeping it a secret I'm planning to head out there."

"And you're…sure you want to go?" Tai asked with a step forward, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yang stared him down; worried he may be up to something.

"No tricks," he raised his hands defensively. "But there is always room for you here, even Roland and Pyrrha. You three could live here as long as you need in peace, you don't have to rush out half-cocked like you always do."

Yang couldn't believe her ears.

"You are asking me to stay here…with a boy…willingly?" She knew something had to be up. "You aren't plotting some way of getting him out of the way are you?"

"Please, I had at least two dozen plans of how to bury him where Zwei would never find him, but I have to admit the kid grew on me. Sometimes you learn the most about someone by fighting them, and I've gotten an ample feel for him."

"Me too," she sighed remembering happier times at Beacon.

"As your father it is my job to distrust him at every turn, but I figure for everything he's done I can give him one shot. If you do leave…I'll miss you, I hope I'd get more than a letter."

"Dad…" Yang groaned, hating it when he got mushy like this.

"I wanted to make a poster, though that might have given it away," Roland appeared behind him, Pyrrha at his side still limping with the Atlas boot. She swore the pain was lessening, unfortunately no one could tell if she was stretching the truth or not. Both noticed each of the two had full packs of supplies and food despite Yang not having asked them about joining her yet. "Your subtlety needs work, you snuck out this morning alright but the racket from here could wake a Goliath."

Roland had given himself a makeover, first having shaved and fixed his hair as straight as he could. He wore the same white undershirt he was seldom seen without, yet overlapping it he kept one of Tai's vests he'd requisitioned since his stay. Adjusted twin pauldrons similar to the one on her father's right shoulder adorned his arms. He, however, wore one on both arms after adding double thick layers for better defense. Deep-red pants and white shoes rounded off his attire as well as the fully repaired and repurposed shield on his back and Ember Celica on his right arm.

"If it's alright," he motioned towards Tai pointing out the articles of his wardrobe he had been forced to claim.

"Take them," he assured the young man. "My closet was in desperate need of a cleaning out anyway. Where are you headed?"

"Mistral, correct?" Pyrrha asked while storing her pack in a compartment on the back of Bumblebee, having deduced they would pursue Ruby to Haven.

"If they got an airship they should be at Haven by now."

"But no guarantee," Yang corrected Roland's assumptions. "With communications down we need a surer way," she turned to her father with a sigh. "I'm going to see mom."

"I thought you might," he admitted having figured out her plan. "I suppose Qrow already told you where she has been hiding these days?" She nodded.

Roland audibly groaned at the prospect, remembering the last time he had, however briefly, met Yang's estranged mother. He could practically feel the burning in his chest and broken arm again. He shivered in anticipation only noticed by Yang, his own eyes darting to her remaining arm of flesh and bone.

 _I'll be there for you Yang, we'll help Ruby and stop whoever is responsible for…everything._

"And you're sure about this? No offense but the three of you aren't exactly the most intimidating force," Tai's look drifted from Pyrrha's leg to Roland's new weapon he had practiced and trained with yet still had to learn and Yang's arm.

"We have to," Pyrrha replied first confidently. "The others need our help, after what happened at Beacon…"

"We can't let it happen at Haven too, even more so with Ruby and the others going there."

Tai smiled proudly with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. He tried to prepare himself for the worst ever since Yang and Ruby voiced their desire to become huntresses. Very few lived to an old age in that profession, but they had wanted to do it, and he understood why his little girls would want to follow in her footsteps.

"I guess that's that, just…take care of each other."

"No worry about that Mr. Xiao Long," Roland balled up his fists, cocking Ember Celica to show how apt he had gotten under his tutelage.

"I'll try not to," he approached the young man as Yang and Pyrrha prepped the bike for its departure once all were ready. "Just watch her back as much as she watches yours." He poked Roland's chest with a stern finger, yet not enough to push him back or meant in true malice. "But watch yourself around her, I get what you need to do but she is still my daughter."

"I know sir," he repositioned the shield hanging on his back to be a little higher. "I won't let anything happen to her."

Tai's eyes narrowed on the young man, suddenly becoming very serious and causing a twinge of uneasiness in the young man. "Don't make a promise you can't keep," he warned. "I know full well you're going against…something big. I doubt you wanted to let anything happen to her at Beacon.

Roland's eyes fell in shame; his best hadn't been enough before.

"But you're doing what you think is right, that is really all any of us can do," he lowered his voice just for Roland. "I know you're used to guarding her, letting Yang take the offensive, but you can't do that your whole life. You have something now," he tapped the compact Ember Celica on his right wrist. "Fight at her side, not in front or behind her."

Roland nodded, raising his head high at his meaning. Unexpectedly, he stepped forward and gave the larger huntsman a tight hug, causing Tai to freeze. Yang noticed the action and winked to her father playfully though still had not heard a word of their exchange. She still wasn't certain what awaited them in Mistral, but come what may…she was with friends.

"I think Bumblebee might be a tight fit with three," Tai finally pointed out as Roland released him. "But I'm sure I can find something in red somewhere around here…"

 **Mistral Train…**

The barrage continued, shell after shell impacting the Grimm's hide to utterly no effect. Its roar echoed throughout the cars, forcing everyone gathered to cover their ears. The Arrakin burrowed under, its passing knocking part of the train off the track, wedging them in place making escape impossible.

"It's avoiding the electrified tracks," an older man with a thin spindly mustache wailed. "That and the cannons have always managed to drive it off before."

 _ **Oh no…**_

"This creature has attacked you before?" Oscar's neighbor demanded, recognizing the uniform as the conductor. The fact he also carried the remote control for the defense turrets was unsettling as it implied he also doubled as head of security.

"A-about every other week but we've never had this trouble before! A few volleys, an attempt to ram us shocking the fight out of it…it's never been this strong! I thought the last encounter would be the last for sure…we blew it clean in two! Oh I knew I should have hired a huntsman!"

 _ **If he had hired even a second year student they could have told him that Arrakin adapt to their environment. Over time one will learn from any attempt to kill it that does not succeed, it was only a matter of time before its carapace solidified to be resistant to their guns. Then of course there is their regeneration factor…**_

"You don't need a huntsman," he replied with his deep voice before cracking his knuckles. "Wait here."

Oscar and the conductor watched eyes agape as the burly man punched the hatch above them so hard it flew open leading to the roof. In a single powerful leap he was out scarcely fitting through the opening. The two spectators leaned out the window to watch the scene before them.

"H-he's insane! What can he hope to do against that thing if our guns can't dent it?"

The lone stranger hopped over the side, watching where the worm-like Grimm was coming about, the tracks kicked up by its passing more than obvious. Seeming to sense his presence, it changed course, burrowing straight towards him.

"He's going to get killed!" Oscar shouted, scrambling for the hatch the man had just gone through followed by the conductor clearly trying to urge him back inside.

 _ **Perhaps not,**_ Ozpin remarked, his voice oddly calm despite the situation. _**Hazel is an…extraordinary individual.**_

Before it reached him, the Arrakin emerged, lunging through the air towards its newfound prey. The great maw opened to swallow him whole. It did not get the chance, seconds before he would have found himself being digested, the behemoth known as Hazel leapt into the air gripping his palms together into a massive fist. With a colossal roar he brought them down with his full strength into the mask of Grimm. The white armor cracked slightly as the worm crashed into the Earth, denting it upon impact with a drawn out squeal of pain.

"Holy sh…"

The conductor's words were drowned out by cheers from within the train of the passengers who had witnessed the first strike. For a moment, the terror gripping them at the seemingly invincible Grimm had abated…at least until it started moving again.

Hazel expected it, leaping again to avoid its renewed frenzy. Somehow, he managed to grip a spike protruding from its back and was pulled into the air with its thrashing. The Arrakin was wholly focused on its new opponent, ignoring the train and giving him no further chance for another strike as powerful as the first. Despite being forced to hold on, the burly fighter delivered savage jabs to its back whenever he could, jostling the beast but failing to crack its hide a second time.

"What can I do?" Oscar whispered harshly to his companion. He had no weapons, no training but he couldn't just stand by and do nothing, it didn't feel right.

 _ **There is nothing you can do; Mr. Rainart seems to be planning to fight it alone. Anyone else entering the fray would only get in his way.**_

"Who is he?"

 _ **A story for later and we are not allies, had he known I was with you he would have assuredly been far less cordial. It is best to stay back for now…**_

"Then what good am I?" Oscar shouted in frustration. That thing out there could eat the ground, burrow as fast as a train and take punishment from the impressive armaments. Hazel was still riding the Grimm, but making no headway. Even if he could take it, at the rate he was going it could come down to attrition.

"H-he'll win I am sure," the conductor repeated over and over. "Surely he would not have fought it otherwise."

Hazel planted his legs into the ground, grinding into it as he strived to drag the Grimm to a stop. Somehow he actually succeeded, burying a powerful fist into the crack again, widening it somewhat. Oscar was stunned at how one man could be so strong, despite the admittedly heroic actions of the man; the trepidation sensed from Ozpin never waned. Already Hazel was raising his fists again to pummel the weakened worm…and then it rolled over.

Before he could get a new grip on it, the Arrakin slammed its maw into the ground, burrowing deep and kicking up chunks of rock. Even Hazel was forced to protect himself as it disappeared down into the depths. As the dark tail finally vanished, he was left standing there all alone, an eerie silence settling over the area.

 _ **That won't last long,**_ Ozpin mused as the passenger cheered his praises. _**The next time it returns it will be even stronger, an entire team may be required to…**_

Even as a voice in Oscar's head, the older headmaster gasped as the ground shook once more, a landslide occurring beneath Hazel's feet. Before he had a chance to move, the massive maw appeared again, swallowing his body and all around him. Oscar could see the widening of his eyes as he disappeared within, the Arrakin reaching high into the air in triumph as the conductor let out a shrill wail at the sight.

"Fire…fire…fire!" He shouted, pressing the same button on his controller again and again. The cannons continued their barrage once more despite the complete lack of reaction from the intended target.

 _I-it's a giant worm, right?_ The young farmhand's mind was racing at what had just happened. _If it adapts to attempts to kill it, then it is just like the normal tiny ones back home. They can survive underwater, even without food and water for weeks. Squishing works but that one is a little big for that, cut them in half and they regrow their tail…_

"But not their head!" Oscar looked closer to the Arrakin currently in the process of looking over the train, no doubt planning its next attack. From the looks of it, the fighter's sacrifice had succeeded in widening the crack made located just below what would be categorized as its head.

 _He must have had the same idea…had had to!_

"Hey, if we…"

The conductor was kneeling down, hands over his head as he was clearly still out of it with terror. He gripped the security remote yet it was firing randomly, most of the shots hitting wide of the Grimm and what few impacted its body still doing no true damage.

"Hey…mister?" Oscar called out to the man who would not acknowledge him. "Hey!"

 _ **He has succumbed to the fear that the Grimm instill in humans. If we are to break him out of we need to be tactful, understanding and…**_

Oscar slapped the older gentleman across the face; it wasn't as hard as he could out of uncertainty yet thankfully caused the man to pay attention to the relative child standing before him.

"Can you target those guns?" He asked, surprised at how confident he was acting, chalking it up to Ozpin's influence of strategies and tactics rolling around in their head. "I dunno…more precisely?"

"Y-yes," he replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But what good will it…?"

Oscar pointed to the crack, not too far down from the maw of the great beast, the same that Hazel had focused his last actions on making. The man understood with a shaky nod, fiddling with the controller he punched in a series of commands. In response, each of the remaining turrets turned in unison, coming to bear at the desired target.

 _ **Not yet!**_

"Not yet!" Oscar repeated, heeding the voice in his head stressing to wait until the opportune moment.

The Arrakin roared, remaining above the surface as it tore through the land, ripping through all in its path towards the immobilized train.

"Now?" The man no longer questioned allowing a fourteen-year old stranger to call out the command.

 _ **It can still change course for a bit more…not yet!**_

"N-not yet!" The creature was almost upon them, another few seconds and it would no longer matter.

 _ **NOW!**_

"FIRE!" Oscar shouted, covering his ears as the concussive barrage threatened to burst his eardrums.

Every shell struck its mark, round after round exploded into the weakened carapace, shattering off chunk after chunk of the Grimm's foul skin. The beast was stopped, snapping its head to the side to block successive shots. Oscar fell backwards in fear, they hit it with an entire salvo, certainly hurting it badly…but not enough to kill it. The Arrakin slowly, terrifyingly twisted towards the two lone shapes upon the train, its eyeless gaze narrowing towards them knowingly.

The crack suddenly exploded outward, releasing another thunderous roar as the creature swatted to the side, unable to escape the pain that assailed it. Another burst from within and another, until at last a familiar burly fist punched outward into the evening air. Hazel emerged, his green and black clothes covered in the smoky substance which made up all Grimm, his eyes burning with anger. Without restraint he ripped out of the Arrakin, literally splitting its neck at the seam so close to what would be considered the head that it could not hope to regenerate as it had before. It limply fell to the ground, shattering all around it with no energy left.

Oscar snapped to his senses, dropping down the side, rushing as close as he dared at the unmoving corpse despite Ozpin's warnings and the fact no others dared approach. Only the pluming columns of black smoke from the body alerted him that it was safe…the thing was quite dead.

"A-are you alright?" He asked as the mountain of a man brushed himself off, acting like he had just undergone a minor inconvenience.

"The assistance was not required…but appreciated." He answered, turning from the train and starting to walk. "Get back onboard boy, it won't take long to get back on the track to Mistral City."

"Wh-what about you?" They were miles from any known settlements, where could he possibly be going?

"That is none of your concern, I have my errands and you have yours. Perhaps when you see huntsmen for what they are, we may speak again."

 _ **Let him go, we have risked enough.**_

Oscar wouldn't have shouted after him even if Ozpin had not warned him, he had no idea how to react to Hazel's words. He wanted to know why he thought so poorly of huntsmen, how Ozpin knew him and what happened between them. Despite his wishes, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him the unintended passenger wouldn't be so open to sharing. With a heavy heart he returned to the train, ready to continue his course towards Mistral and this ally of Ozpin's to point him in the right direction.

 **Somewhere Dark…**

Olivia pounded on the invisible barrier separating her from the battle, unable to do anything but watch her body act without her. No matter what she tried, she couldn't break through; her friends were fighting for their lives and in that moment she was distracted, Hildie had made her move.

 _There HAS to be a way out of here, if she found a way out then so can I._

"Be sure to eat everything honey."

Olivia froze at the familiar voice, with ice in her chest she turned, finding a dinner table setting before her. An older couple sat around it, a toddler with dull blonde hair and pink eyes poking at her food scowling at the selection presented her. To anyone unaware of the context it would appear to be a normal situation of family life.

 _No…nonononono, please not again._

"Mommy," the little girl started, looking up at her with the most innocent of eyes.

 _Shut up, please just shut up,_ Olivia begged, desperate to prevent it from happening again.

"Mommy, why do you love men other than daddy?"

Such had been the question that started all their woes, she didn't understand then, how could she? She hadn't seen anything; she just knew it, just…perceived it, her semblance having awoken and allowing her to see the secret. They had argued, how long they argued as Olivia hid in her room wondering what she did wrong. She closed her eyes and pushed the sounds away, pushed away everything including the power that had allowed her to see what had made them so angry. All went black, she didn't remember what happened but next she knew she was being found by a huntsman shifting through the wreckage of her home and town.

It was the same story of so many places; the Grimm had come and destroyed everything. They found no one else, not even her parents alive, yet they had ignored the small girl hiding under wreckage…the innocent smile still resting on her face. Despite her return of happiness and healing over the accompanying years, the same question ever rested in the back of her mind.

 _Was it my fault? Did the Grimm come because of me?_

 _ **It was a simple question, just because they didn't want you to know…**_

 _I shouldn't have asked it._

Her friend, the voice Olivia knew ever since she could remember was always there. Hildie looked out for her, told her who was nice and who was mean, even secrets she just knew somehow. She didn't even know what a semblance was back then, how could she have even realized hers was already active.

 _I'm never doing that again…EVER!_

 _ **Everybody has secrets; we can't very well avoid that.**_

 _We can avoid looking._

 _ **Then how will you know who to trust?**_

 _Like everybody else, just stop looking._

 _ **That is like asking you to stop breathing.**_

 _I don't need to see the secrets of others, people need that privacy. I…I don't need to, I can just be normal._

 _ **WH…what are you doing?**_

 _I don't want you around anymore Hildie…I don't want that power. Just, just let me be normal._

 _ **That isn't you! You can't just push me away! What about all the times…!**_

And then there was silence, no voice, no feeling on whether someone was hiding something or insight into their secrets…there was nothing. Over the years, Olivia learned of aura and semblances, what Hildie likely was along with her apparent ability to see the beyond the surface of others and later push herself out of their perception. It fit perfectly with her desire to remain beneath the radar, no one special. The memories of her life played out around her as if on repeat, soon she saw familiar towers of Bastion Academy.

A thirteen-year old Olivia wandered the hallways, booklet in hand seeking her first class since being accepted. They were much larger than what she was used to, a commotion around the corner drew her attention.

"I heard about you," another girl wearing a 2nd year uniform remarked. "You look human but you came from Menagerie. Sure you aren't hiding a tail?"

A pair of students was blocking the path of a third, another first year the same age as Olivia by the look of her. She had poofy auburn hair and bronzed skin. Despite being surrounded she looked focused and serious, attempting to step around the pair but was cut off at each attempt.

"I wish to proceed to class," she announced. "Please move aside."

"So you aren't a faunus, but not really human either are you? Why don't you go…?"

"Is there a problem here?"

The student accosting the young woman swung instinctively towards the voice, completely unaware that Olivia was standing right behind her. She had grown accustomed to shifting out of the perception of others, without having announced her presence; they would have never realized she was there. As a result, her aim was off, the blow passing harmlessly an inch from Olivia's face, punching full force into the wall.

"Gahh!" She growled in pain, cradling her sore hand. "Who are you?"

"Olivia Ramus," she replied cheerily, leaning in close with her smile ever present. "I seem to have gotten lost; the Headmaster pointed me this way and…"

"Tch," the woman pulled back along with her friend at mention of the head of the school. Making sure to not say another word, the two slinked off, leaving them alone.

"You know the Headmaster?" The auburn-haired huntress in training asked, recovering several books clearly knocked to the floor before her arrival.

"Nah," Olivia admitted while kneeling to help," but it got them running didn't it? Don't worry about those two." Her pink eyes shone brightly, getting a good feeling from the beleaguered student. "What is your name?"

"Esmerelda, Esmerelda Moto."

"Pleasure to meet you!" She extended her hand, gripped securely by Esmerelda who suddenly wore a truly sinister expression on her face.

 _Wait,_ Olivia froze in confusion. _She didn't look like that, she looked happy, we've been friends ever since!_ The young woman was noticing a disturbing pattern, the events she witnessed were playing out as she remembered them but everything appeared more…twisted.

Her parent's faces, when she broached the question warped in extreme anger and rage when in reality she specifically recalled their looks of utter bewilderment, confusion and later sorrow. Ezzy had never looked at her so maliciously, yet here they were as if they had the worst intentions imaginable beneath the surface. Was it this place? This pocket of her mind she had created to hide away her powers and Hildie, was it possible this is what she had experienced while being suppressed all those years? All the negative emotions of Olivia's mind, Hildie's words came back to the forefront of her thoughts.

 **You got all the sunshine and rainbows while I got the cobwebs and bile.**

 _She saw…the worst in everyone from in here. It's all my fault, if only I hadn't…_

Olivia curled up, trying to look away as the memories continued playing in front of her each twisted a little bit from what she remembered. While behind her, Hildie continued fighting while in full control, trying to get as much out of her recovered freedom as was possible.

 **Schnee Manor…**

Weiss finished the last of her tea, the food already long gone. She had been provided her evening meal before being left to her "grounding." Fortunately, the tray used for her meal was noticeably larger than most…and thicker.

Weiss drew Myrtenaster proudly from the hidden compartment which unfolded into a full briefcase she could pack; the same Klein had often used to sneak her presents, treats and the occasional letter from Winter or mother when they couldn't make it. He always did his best to make her time as happy as he could after she turned ten and the truth had come out about why Jacques had married her mother. The weapon was not alone, after loading the dust cartridges included she unfolded a crumpled up letter within.

 _Hope this helps Weiss, wish I could be there when you bust out but unfortunately I doubt I'd be able to get there unnoticed. He'll be waiting for you in the library. He said they made sure the guards patrolling the hanger will be delayed just long enough to find a ship, sorry I can't do more. Just get out of here and do what you feel is best, we'll hold down the fort. Stay cool Weiss, we can perform another duet when you get back._

 _P.S. You should probably destroy this letter._

She quickly complied, reducing the paper to ashes with a single flick of Myrtenaster, taking a deep reassuring breath she slowly opened her door. The halls were empty, other than the lack of light it wasn't terribly different than during the day. For added silence, the young huntress had slipped off her shoes and went barefoot. The marble floors were no place for heels. The library was located past the main common room which meant before then she'd have to pass…

 _Father's office, if I can just slip past…_

The sound of something shattering, a bottle most likely caused Weiss to silently duck for cover, worried she may have been spotted. Fortunately, the sound had come from inside soon followed by raised voice.

"You need to control yourself!" The deep tone of General Ironwood gave away the current visitor meeting with her father.

"You're talking to ME about control? Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"I am basing everything on my report from YOUR daughter."

 _Winter?_ Weiss could not resist, she snuck closer, straining her ear to listen in.

"A daughter YOU stole!"

"We are not getting into that again! Winter is one of my best, if she is telling me there's a threat in Mistral I…"

"Good evening, isn't it rather late to be out in the halls?"

Weiss snapped around, a familiar cheerful smile to greet her as Penny appeared behind her. Just where had she been hiding?"

"Is everyth…" Her greeting was cut off as Weiss locked a palm over her mouth, raising a finger, her desperate face begging for silence hoping she hadn't been overheard. She dared not speak, only shaking her head over and over, eyes pleading for understanding.

Penny's features softened as she glanced from her expression to Myrtenaster and the briefcase in hand. She looked at Weiss with drooping eyes but understood its meaning, taking her hand she turned to lead the former heiress away…just as the door to the office opened a crack.

The head of General Ironwood peered out, spotting them immediately. His face had grown even sterner since the last time Weiss had seen it. He clearly hadn't shaved in days and dark bags rested beneath his eyes, his hair had more grey in it than she remembered and was split in several places. The two froze at his gaze, his eyes narrowing towards them analyzing the situation. He sighed loudly, loud enough to be heard by Jacques still sitting at his desk.

"Another report Penny?" He asked, confusing them until he turned back. "I'll be back in a moment Jacques."

"Take your time with your 'little girl'," he grumbled within, clearly displeased with their discussions. Ironwood closed the door behind him.

"You are leaving?" He asked. Weiss' mouth flopped open as she tightened her grip on Myrtenaster. She didn't want to fight her way out, but if she had to she wouldn't hold back. "Penny," the general placed his hands on her shoulder suddenly, not needing an answer. "I want you to go with her."

"B-but General Sir," she started with confusion and a salute. "My place is here, you helped make me and I could never…"

"You have to," he pulled her into a hug, cupping the back of her head gently. Only Weiss could see her shocked look at his words. "I've done my best, but I am losing the debate. It won't be long before the council starts commanding us to treat you as a weapon rather than a girl. If you don't leave now…I won't be able to stop them."

"I…" She didn't know what to say. "I will…follow your orders."

"This isn't an order," he kissed the top of her head like the father he always wanted to be to her. Weiss' heart skipped with a hint of jealousy at what she had wanted long ago. Ironwood had been trying to find a way to keep her safe, and now that moment had landed in his lap, he had to take it. "Please, I'll send word to him to be ready." With that final word he turned and reentered the office, their previous arguments continuing after a few moments of silence.

"Penny?" Weiss whispered after her friend stood there unmoving for several seconds. By the time she turned around, the young woman couldn't believe her eyes.

 _Is she crying?_

"I…I presume you had a means to exit the premises?" Weiss nodded. "Then please lead the way, we will not have much time."

With those final words, Weiss hesitantly continued her path towards the library. She never imagined escaping with another person. With their current plan, Klein would get them to the hangar…and freedom.

 **Kuroyuri…**

No one recognized the woman who had once been Olivia Ramus flying towards the Nuckelavee, mace slamming into its haunches with a deafening explosion. Jaune barely brought up his shield to prevent the explosion from catching him as well after ensuring Ruby's safety. Her combat was wild, ferocious and erratic; no one was safe from becoming potential collateral damage. After getting her blow in, still smiling gleefully she danced away barely taking an ugly scratch to her back she ignored.

RNJRR was encircling the creature staying in motion as Jaune had advised. Nora and Ren at a distance as Jaune tried to get close only to receive a back kick into the chest for his attempt. Their teammate formerly known as Olivia heeded no strategies and attacked where she wished.

A new explosion collided with the monster as Ember launched his last cannonball into its head. Despite that coupled with the small arms from Ren strafing around it and Nora's accompanying fire, they weren't even staggering the creature. How many years had this Grimm seen in its time walking Remnant to have grown so powerful? The same strength that had allowed it to overwhelm Kuroyuri and dozens other homes in decades past now brought to bear on this fledgling team and one lone knight. Before RNJRR arrived it had smashed Ember about, the hardy warrior taking blow after blow as his own fell short and in that time the creature did what it had mastered from survival.

It had learned.

Where crushing, smashing and otherwise pulverizing him had failed, it extended the grotesque arms and seized him by the throat. He stabbed at it repeatedly, his lance piercing yet causing no discernible damage as it closed around his throat and squeezed tightly. His lance clattered to the ground as he pulled at the fingers striving for relief.

The blonde Arc was on his feet again, the two sides having decided silently on a temporary cease fire as they focused on the mutual threat. Sliding his blade into the sheath he revealed the upgrades he had received from the blacksmith using Pyrrha's metal. His new sword utilized the sheath to extend the blade into that of a two-handed variant with red shimmering dust along the edges. With a roar of anger he slashed at the arm holding Ember to seemingly no effect…until the red of his weapon started to glow. The fire dust worked into the sheath detonated, shaking the Grimm and forcing it to release the grip on Cinder's champion, giving him ample time to recover his gunlance.

Its arm swung again and again, occasionally striking a huntsman though many missing as they moved as fast as they could. Hildie bounded in anytime it took its attention away, making it pay though her assaults were just as ineffectual as the others. It was as if they were fighting a juggernaut and was only a matter of time before fatigue would rear its ugly head.

Ren had a look of pure rage in his eyes to match Ember's, the two having lost a father to the same monster. He remembered the roof caving in atop his mother, the last terrified scream of his father as he fought to delay it as Ren ran. Cartwheeling ahead, he leapt, dodged and otherwise became a whirlwind of attacks slashing at every perceivable weak point to no avail. Finally, as he paused for a fraction of a second to breath, it took advantage, catching him in the chest with its arm and pinning him to a wall painfully as its multitude of other limbs kept his teammates at bay, all but one.

Nora transformed Magnihild back to a hammer, rocketing towards the man who had stayed by her side all those years who was being targeted by another arm set to impale him as he was immobilized. Without a moment to spare, she made it, taking the full force of the attack meant for Ren. The young man was snapped briefly out of his anger-fueled fury at the fear she may have been killed, only to sigh in relief at the realization that it had been her hammer caught by the attack, pinning her to the wall.

"Stop looking!" She shouted in embarrassment, she wore a combat skirt and at the higher angle above Ren gave him a clear view up it. The polite ninja looked away despite their situation, missing the grin of satisfaction gracing the Valkyrie's face for a fraction of a second.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Ember roared, plunging from above and lodging his gunlance within the Nuckelavee to join the dozen other weapons protruding from it. Only once there did he realize how close he was to the familiar blade also residing within it.

 _Dad…_

Releasing hold of the black weapon he had acquired in Salem's domain, his fingers closed around the sword of his father, pulling the trigger.

Nothing happened.

A new claw struck him, no longer caring to hold back he used his semblance to its fullest and did not budge, pulling as hard as he could on the weapon to free it. Releasing Ren and Nora, its dark limbs found Ember's throat once more, pulling him free of his goal and hoisting him high into the air.

"You…took everything," he groaned, prying one of the hands off yet failing with the second. "Everything fell apart after…"

The terrifying smile plastered on the white mask stared into his eyes as if in mockery. Could the Grimm tell whom it held in its closing grip or did it merely act this way with all? It spared a single finger from the hand holding him, slowly sinking a long nail into his shoulder bypassing his semblance from the slow speed of the attack. Ember screamed in pain.

A massive two-handed sword slashed down onto the limb, causing the Grimm to shriek in pain and release the captive knight as it focused on the new opponent.

"Hey ugly, remember me?" Qrow Branwen remarked as he slid his sword up the arm, bisecting it up to what could be considered an elbow. He had long since given up chasing Tyrian at the realization that Ember and Ruby were not with him and pursued the others. He had arrived at Kuroyuri too late to help Hattori all those years ago…yet recognized the silhouette of the monster that had slain his friend.

Hildie took advantage, landing on its back and shoving the SMG of Jackal into a bright eye before unloading the full magazine. Blindly, it spun, throwing both her and Qrow clear who rebounded gracefully before rushing back in.

Hildie was not so lucky, having been caught in the chest and ragdolled squarely into Ember's arms. Cinder's knight paled at the black eyes that greeted him beneath the silver hair he did not recognize. The young woman looked back into his, an expression of understanding spreading across her face as she gazed deep into his helmet's sockets, her semblance telling her all she needed to know.

"Well hello loverboy," she sneered back with victory. "Long time no see, you seem to have been naughty in the meanwhile."

"W-what?"

Hildie's smile only widened, there was no hiding from her.

"Nothing is working," he remarked coldly focusing on the moment, noting the other's continued ineffectual attacks including Qrow while massaging the ugly bruises on his throat. "We cannot win like this."

"I'm just getting as much fun as I can, if you have a better idea I am all ears."

"That…sword on its back is known as a Railblade, I believe its reserves are empty, if we can recharge it…"

"Leave it to me," the imposter instantly started looking for Nora, spotting her beneath a wooden structure with a wounded Ren. "Use that durability of yours to keep it busy and I'll get that sword powered." She leaned in uncomfortably close. "Don't worry any cutie," she winked, "your secret is safe with me, hope you've been having fun of your own on the other side."

Ember did not know what to say, only nodding before rushing back into the fray unarmed, his gunlance having joined the weapon of his father imprisoned within the Alpha Grimm.

 **Not Far…**

"Nora!" Ren called out, eager to rush back into the fight only to be held back by her indomitable strength. "Let go! I have to…"

Nora backhanded him across the face; it was not hard but stern as she looked away while snapping him back to his senses.

"No," she whispered quietly. "I won't let you kill yourself like this. After EVERYTHING we've been through, I won't let it end…not like this!"

Ren didn't know how to react, Nora was so often the bubbly, cheerful one of the group since those days and now she had become the calm voice of reason. He felt ashamed, realizing what it would have done to her if he died. Hesitantly, he reached into his robe, pulling out a short curved dagger. It had been his father's, the one thing he took from Kuroyuri other than the clothes on his back. Determination formed back on his face that was now tempered, controlled unlike before and he nodded to his friend, though she was far more than that to him and they both knew it.

"We can do this!" She asserted without the slightest hesitation in her voice. "We…"

"Hey, sweeties." The two turned, gasping at the black eyes that stared back into them hanging upside down atop the wooden structure they hid beneath. "Need one of your little injectors," she held out her hands to Nora. "Post haste, pretty please."

"Where is Olivia?" Ren narrowed his eyes towards her, recognizing the same that had threatened him in the previous village. "If you hurt…"

"She's fine, taking a nap, and unless you want to join her permanently I SUGGEST you hand one over…NOW!"

Nora reached into her pack, producing on filled with lightning dust, Hildie snatched it in a flash before she could react.

"Thank you kindly! Oh, we're gonna be borrowing that sword stuck out of its back so if you two could provide us cover after your make-out session that'd be great." With that final word she disappeared, the orphans of that dead town rushing out to rejoin the battle all the while Ren kept an eye on their possessed friend.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Ember caught a hoof strike intended for Qrow, twisting hard with all the strength he could muster to drag the Grimm off its feet to the ground. "You've held onto that sword long enough."

"Bird boy!" Hildie shouted as she threw the dust injector towards him. The older huntsman caught it one-handed, confused until he saw her eyes dart towards the Railblade he fully recognized. He realized their plan in a moment.

As the abomination of a horse was still struggling under Ember's weakening grip, Qrow leapt with hands outreached towards the blade. He got ahold of it, ramming the injector into the handle with a satisfying surge of energy. The injector emptied as a line of blue light thrummed to life up the length of the blade. He hooked his finger to pull the trigger…

All the wind was knocked out of Qrow Branwen as a black fist buried itself in his gut. He barely had time to transform into a bird as he was thrown clear, lessening his impact and allowing a quicker recovery. Simultaneously, the horned mask bit down hard on Ember's shoulder, eliciting a scream as the pressure crunched his armor painfully into his flesh, the force of the bending insufficient to activate his aura.

 _It crumpled even this metal?_

He did not have time to think more as the Nuckelavee snapped its head, sending him flying through the nearby building, causing the weakened frame to crumble down around him in a great plume of smoke and debris. Jaune was the next to try for it, slicing the fire dust edges of his sword against an arm with a mighty explosion that once again failed to leave a mark. As the rest he was driven back along with renewed assaults by Qrow, it knew what they were aiming for though not why it was important.

Hildie was up next, striking the rear haunch to draw its attention. Ren jumped over her head, slashing with one of his weapons and the dagger of his father.

"Out of my way!" Hildie growled, kicking her supposed ally in the chest and throwing him clear. Bounding over him, she brought down the mace along with the last of her fire dust into the monster's head. A single horn snapped from the explosion, scorching the rest of its mask. She did not get another chance as it checked her with its equine body.

She somersaulted as best she could, colliding with Ren who caught her as Qrow and Jaune did their best to get closer to no avail.

"Bring back Olivia," Ren commanded, the black eyes still sending shivers through him. That is not your body!"

"It's as much mine as hers," her voice hissed. "This is hardly the time."

Ren's grip tightened, his tone grew harsh and menacing.

"Bring…her back, you can't just…"

The SMG of Jackal was suddenly pressed to Ren's forehead, with his aura already weakened as it was he could not guarantee it could stop a round from so close.

"I'm not going back," she announced, for the first time looking truly terrified. "The boss is probably already getting a little taste of what I went through in…that place. I WON'T go back, if you try I will keep the promise I made in the…"

Hildie's arm was pulled away and locked behind her back, the weapon fired off its rounds harmlessly into the stone. Nora had spotted their altercation and rushed to intervene; Olivia's conquered body could not hope to match her in strength. Quickly, as she raged for freedom, Ren pressed his hand onto her forehead, narrowly avoiding an attempt to bite him.

"NO! Let me go! I'm NOT GOING BACK, YOU CAN'T SEND ME BACK…NOT…th…not the…"

All color drained from Hildie's face as Ren's semblance took effect, suppressing her emotions. In a normal person that would have been the end of it, they would be calm and at peace without the outward emotions that would attract the Grimm. For Hildie, however, it was different. Her eyes drooped and rolled into the back of her head, strength left her arms as her weapons clattered to the ground. As the seconds passed, she went completely limp in Nora's arms, completely catatonic, her hair receding back to a dirty blonde.

"Wh…what did you do to her?" Nora asked, still oblivious to the transfer of ownership that had occurred within her friend's body.

"Hopefully given Olivia a fighting chance, get her somewhere safe," he called out as he rushed back to the battle. Hopefully, they would survive and give Olivia somewhere safe to wake up to.

 **Across the field…**

Jaune fell to one knee, barely holding back the latest swing of the Nuckelavee's powerful arms. The dust in his sword was spent; it was heavier and sharper with the sheath enhancements yet still failed to pierce the Grimm's flesh. Qrow continued to open a second front, yet it was apt at fighting multiple angles. Not even the older huntsman could make a dent despite Harbinger's transformation into its scythe form raking across its body where he could.

With a final push of Adrenaline, Jaune parried the arm to the side denting the ground. With a roar he buried his sword into it, pinning the appendage to the ground. With all his strength he held fast, denying the use of that limb.

Ren was up next, bounding over him to hook his blades around another and using his full body weight to drag it down. With the two remaining limbs locked up fighting Qrow, it was wide open but Nora was still across the field. They would need to hold it still until she…

A plume of debris erupted from the far roof as Ember launched himself, finally having extricated himself from the building. Sailing through the air, he landed squarely on the Grimm's unprotected back, gripping the handle tightly with both hands.

"This is for dad," he whispered before pulling the trigger.

A burst of electricity shimmered up the blade as it split down the middle, revealing the experimental railgun within. In less than a heartbeat, the projectile fired, propelled by the electromagnets running up its length within at incredible velocities. Being already lodged within the Nuckelavee, the reaction was instantaneous, blasting the monster apart and bisecting the rider from its steed. The explosion blinded everyone present; the limbs being restrained slumped down and began to dissolve into the air along with the equine half now devoid of its master.

The formerly conjoined rider was not far, trying to drag itself away with its one remaining arm, its mask wailing in pain and rage. It did not get far; as it neared the tree line, a green blade impaled its final hand to the ground, denying its escape. The broken mask gazed up at the young Lie Ren, his eyes focused, angry, yet calm at the nightmare that haunted his dreams since he was a child. He cradled his father's blade tightly, resolved to finish it.

"For everyone…"

The Grimm opened its mask to scream again yet never got a chance to, in a flash the heirloom dagger ran across its black throat, taking the head clean off as the substance had already started to decay. With its final death, the body burst like a cloud, the black plume rising into the air higher than they'd ever seen before being taken by the soft breeze.

"We…did it?" Qrow asked, glancing side to side. Jaune was kneeling weakly on his sword, Nora had tackled Ren with joy and Olivia's body was still slumped against the nearby wall. At the sight of a shattered gunlance lying among the rubble, he realized a certain black-armored individual was missing along with the sword of his old friend. "Ruby!"

Qrow sprinted around the building where he had spotted her when flying in, fearing the worst. The panic died down as he spotted his niece still where they left her. She was battered and bruised but her breathing had calmed, the discolored purple flesh receding. The young huntress looked up, her silver eyes locking onto her uncle.

"He…left."

"What?"

"He ran off…that way," she pointed weakly. Qrow rushed to where she pointed, unable to locate any sign of him as before. With a silent curse he kicked the ground, only then spotting something clearly fresh amid the nature-consumed stonework.

A small book, scuffed with a shredded binding bound in dyed gold leather. Had Ember dropped it?

"Twin Worlds: The Birth of an Age?" He read aloud, feeling a twinge of guilt that he knew much more of what they faced than the others as he returned to Ruby, tucking the book away. "When we get out of here kiddo, I need to tell you all a few things."

"HEY! OVER HERE!"

Carrying Ruby with ease, Qrow Branwen rounded the corner, the welcome sight of a pair of Mistral airships setting down in the center of Kuroyuri. A squad of officers rushed out, checking the wounded group with special attention to Olivia who refused to stir.

"Sir," the commander called to Qrow as he flashed his Huntsman badge granting authority. "What happened here?"

"We can explain en route, do you have medical supplies onboard? The young man swiftly nodded.

They loaded up, made sure all were accounted for and boarded the ship for Mistral, taking off and leaving the dead city behind. Olivia was given a bed, but no matter what they tried she would not wake. Ruby leaned up against a door, completely against lying down. She had just started feeling a bit livelier if only just and did not want to go to sleep just yet. Nora and Ren were leaning against one another with their legs dangling out of the ship. They had always been close, but now their interlocked hands betrayed something new that hadn't been there before.

"How did you find us so fast?"

"That explosion lit up the sky and that cloud was hard to miss, no one has been out here for years. We'll head into the city, Bravo Team will continue on the patrol and make sure there aren't anymore." With a nod, the sister patrol ship turned from the others and headed back out into the untamed terrain.

The older huntsman was tired, hours flying after the wrong target then having to double time it back after the other kids had him sighing in relief. Before he could reach for his trusty flask, Ruby's hand found his, squeezing weakly with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Uncle Qrow."

"That guy didn't hurt you did he?" He looked her up and down again for any injuries he missed. "Before we…?"

Ruby shook her head. "He…helped me; he never hurt me even a little. I don't think he wanted to."

"I find that hard to believe," he crossed his arms defensively. "Look what his buddy did to you."

"He apologized for that."

"Come again squirt?"

"He apologized for what the other one did. I…saw Cinder."

"What, how?"

"It is…a long story." She smile weakly, her mind still torn between what she wanted to do and what she was capable of doing.

Qrow let out a soft chuckle at the familiar phrase and words of his niece, reaching into his coat he pulled out the book he had found below. "Well, we have a while. How about you give a good long story…and I'll share one to all of you I should have told before you left Patch.

 **Bravo Team…**

The squad lay unconscious scattered about the cramped interior of the patrol ship, a shape in black armor dropping the last to the floor. It had been simple enough to double back once the ships arrived, stow away onboard and abscond with one of the two ships. Ember dabbed at his brow, thankful he had selected the ship directed to head back out on patrol. Taking control, he turned the vessel from its path to a new heading.

 _I can drop them off near a village on the way and let them sleep off the headaches they are sure to have. I have to get back as soon as possible, before Salem can do anything else to her…_

 **The final battle has ended, Ember returns empty handed to his Maiden as Olivia wrestles with her inner demons. Not all is finished in Patch, Menagerie and Atlas as the remainder of our heroes set off on their paths to Haven. Volume 4 concludes next chapter and until then as always I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D**


	49. Reunions and Consequences

**Deathwing17: I hope I was able to quench your thirst, and yes you are exactly right. Naming the worm Grimm after the planet with the deadliest sand worms known...**

 **Amelia: With any luck, Olivia will be able to face what torments her. As for Ember, well I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the last ;)**

 **Constipated Genius: We can only hope so, Olivia's knee-jerk reaction to Hildie didn't go so well...time for a new approach. That is so true about Penny, of course their enemies are pretty OP, who knows what she'll be able to help with. I am so glad you liked it :)**

 **bookwrym321: Patch Crew XD, I love it! Indeed, we don't see Ren (and now Ember) lose it very often but when they do it is for good reason. As for their additional vehicles...alas that will be a surprise for Vol. 5, regrettably the updates won't be increasing as I do need to plan ahead and cooldown, been writing a long time lol.**

 **Jwebb96: Yea, being sealed in a part of the mind that only sees the worst in people is no good for ANYONE.**

 **Batomys2731: That means a lot, that is precisely what I am going for and I'm overjoyed you liked it! :D I hope you enjoy.**

 **C0rrupted1: No problem at all, delays happen. Oh yes, Hattori was Horatio's father, his name was first mentioned way back in Vol. 3 when Ozpin was explaining the Guardian and Maidens. That is true, though I don't think Ember cares much for failing Salem...his Maiden on the other hand...**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thank you very much! I hope you like it.**

 **And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!**

Esmerelda sighed as the tea started to whistle, quickly removing it from the stove. They had made a hasty retreat back to the Belladonna house after the mutual attacks on the rooftop. Apparently Yuma and the spider girl weren't the only White Fang agents active that night. A chameleon faunus acquaintance of Blake's by the name of Ilia had attacked, catching Sun with her weapon after his aura was depleted fighting all in the hopes of retrieving her scroll.

 _If only I'd gotten a chance to talk to Yuma,_ she mused while pouring the tea into the pot. _What did they do to him that he just assumed the worst?_

Fortunately, as the Chieftain of Menagerie, Blake's parents had access to a full security detail and medical supplies. It had looked bad at first; Sun twisting in his sleep and sweating profusely while Blake changed his bandages. It hadn't been until the moon disappeared from the night sky before he started to calm, finally stabilizing and drifting off into an undisturbed sleep.

Esmerelda laid a cup of tea beside her grandmother sleeping on a nearby sofa before hefting the tray towards the door to find the others. Considering how things were and the doubtless knowledge that she had ferried Esmerelda away as a child she was no longer safe. After a few trips with escorts, she had taken all the essentials from their house and settled into the Belladonna manor. For the foreseeable future…it was to be their home.

"Too much water, it dilutes the flavor."

Esmerelda turned, her grandmother sitting up straight as if she hadn't been sleeping at all sipping on the tea.

"I'm out of practice; Mr. Belladonna said your room will be ready by tonight."

"That is a relief," Odette cracked her back loudly and stretched out her wings. "I'm not as young as I used to be, the days of sleeping in unorthodox places are long behind me. And you picked up a few skills to supplement the loss," she poked her cane towards her granddaughter. "I saw the uniform on the floor…anything you want to talk about?"

Esmerelda glanced back, heart beating faster than ever. Odette didn't look angry or upset, merely stern as she awaited an answer.

"Did you tell the Belladonnas?"

"No, it is not my secret to reveal. What happened?"

Esmerelda laid the tray down, slumping next to her with a sigh. Officially speaking she shouldn't be telling anyone her mission, but she was her grandmother and was now involved, she deserved to know.

"I'm…an Atlas Specialist now nana, at least still in training."

"Mhm," was her only response, still listening intently.

"The White Fang were at Beacon. They let these mutated versions of Grimm inside that caused havoc. I fought alongside General Ironwood but it wasn't enough."

"I heard the news, utterly despicable."

"We were worried that the White Fang division of Menagerie may have been a part of the attack. The General requested that I…"

"Spy on us to ensure we were truly not part of Mr. Taurus' little splinter cell? I suppose that was the real reason you came back after all this time."

"Nana!" She looked truly hurt. "I didn't lie about being worried! I just," she paused, "didn't tell you everything."

"Anything else you haven't told me? Are your teammates you wrote about hiding around here somewhere too?"

Esmerelda lowered her head. "They aren't with Atlas; I don't even know where they are right now." She cupped her head in her hands, frustrated beyond words. "Everything just went so wrong after Beacon. My team was split up, and Horatio, he…" She bit back tears remembering them; Olivia's endless spunk, Roland's goofy jokes and Horatio's indomitable nature. "I don't want that to happen EVER again, not if I can do something!"

"Not as cut and dry as you hoped it would be?"

"Everything was so right before, so disciplined! I hoped that no one was with The White Fang when coming here! I could see you, spend some time together then go back. I prayed that they weren't active here, I never imagined Yuma would ever…I'm so sorry nana."

Her grandmother leaned forward, wiping away the fringes of tears forming in her eyes pressing past her military discipline, sitting back with a stern smile.

"I learned long ago that things are seldom as simple or organized as we would like. Raising you taught me that," she laid a hand on her lap. "What matters is what we do to make things work. I won't say a word, but the Belladonnas are good people…though you didn't hear it from me."

Esmerelda laid her hand atop her grandmother's, not knowing what else to say. It made her miss the many years they had been apart communicating over the weak scroll signals she could occasionally receive.

"Well, that is enough nonsensical rambling for one day, I am sure your friends would love some of your leaf water…off with you now before it gets cold."

 **Somewhere Else…**

"They aren't like that, they aren't," Olivia muttered over and over, seeing the memories pass her by again. Once more the sinister belief behind the kind smiles was evident here, bringing into question all that she knew.

"Doubt it, but it sure sucks to be surrounded by it 24/7 huh?" Olivia turned slowly, spotting the familiar silhouette in the distance which was her own, the only difference being the silver hair and black eyes as it stepped forward.

"You!" She stood to her feet, taking a stance.

"Calm down boss, if anyone is going to be angry it's me. Your 'friend' followed through on his offer. When I get out of here I'll be sure to…"

"Don't you dare! I saw everything; you were insane, chaotic, out of control! Just like always."

"That's it," Hildie beckoned towards her. "Finally some negativity bleeding through, ready to act like a normal human? Get a little angry?"

Olivia came swinging, catching Hildie in the right cheek before kneeing her in the gut and driving her doppelganger to a knee. The next blow was caught, twisting her arm and ramming the huntress into a wall that wasn't there before.

"All those years, I was stuck in here," she whispered harshly into Olivia's ear. "Every foul thought that ever crossed your head came my way; you left me down here until you needed me. Needed your semblance you don't even understand."

Olivia head-butted her, giving some breathing space as she caught Hildie with a spinning kick to send her reeling to the ground.

"I understood enough!" She shouted. "To see into people's minds, I don't want that!"

Hildie started to laugh, a short, croaking laughter that sent chills up her spine. "Seeing thoughts is only a portion," she grinned at her counterpart's confusion. "You gave up the moment it got scary."

She swung an uppercut Olivia leaned back to avoid, the two throwing a series of punches and kicks that, unbeknownst to them, mirrored one another. Left, right, uppercut, kidney punch, they traded blow for blow, neither catching up.

"Absolute Perception," Hildie remarked amid their rain of attacks. "That is what I called it, nothing escapes it. You used me to track loverboy way back when to the island. Did you really think you could just sense where he was?"

"Shut up!"

"Air currents, could tell where they were most traveled through disturbances on the map, best chance for the island to be there. Same way you followed…Ember here. Minute clues here and there, nothing leaves absolutely no trace, it's impossible."

Despite growing angrier and angrier as Hildie seemed to grow calmer, Olivia listened intently. Her curiosity at the side of herself she had buried growing by the moment.

"Perceiving thoughts, that's the key," Hildie concluded. "Being able to see what they are thinking base on facial features, glances, even the way they move. A sixth sense that lets you perceive their thoughts and opens the door to…adjust them appropriately."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Olivia wound back her hand, delivering a stronger punch. The attack struck Hildie's cheek who did not so much as budge from the impact.

"To show what you missed out on," she glared back around her fist. "I had a bad feeling about that Fall girl, even that Ray despite her charity saving our life and how much you two had fun. Of course I had a bad feeling about everyone, we could have…"

"I told you," Olivia gritted her teeth. "I WONT take every secret of my friends; I won't…become a monster." She slumped to her knees, Hildie collapsing beside her, the two leaning beside each other utterly sapped of energy and drive.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore," Hildie sighed. "We're BOTH down here now, how do you like having our life on rerun. Maybe with each of us here the point of view will vary somewhat…help pass the time."

Olivia had her head in her hands, pressing together as the frustration built. To be trapped in there alone with her while their body just withered out in the real world…

That thought was the start of her epiphany with those simple words, "their body."

 _She was trapped here with this all that time, how could I do that to her? How could I have known? That I could construct this place to hide her and all the emotions I didn't want away. I built this place alone, but together..._

"Hildie," Olivia started with hesitant breaths. "We shouldn't have been looking into others, perceiving their secrets back when we were together, but neither should I have done what I did."

"If you try to hug me I will find a way to kill you in here."

"What I MEAN, is that maybe, we can both try to make up for it…together."

"So NOW you want to play nice?"

"Better late than never, we both made mistakes but I am you and you are me. You see the worst and I the best in others. Perhaps we can work something out."

"And how do you propose we begin this new 'partnership?" Hildie motioned to the dark space around them. "Unless you have a key…"

"I made this place," Olivia stomped her feet surely before extending a hand to Hildie. "We don't need to escape it if we can break it down."

Her alter ego glanced down at the hand, utterly bewildered by the situation. For so long she had been trapped and after her bars had been loosened only saw Olivia as an obstacle to her own freedom. With this simple hand gesture all that was turned on its head, was it an effect of being together again, each able to see a piece of the other? It almost reminded the pessimistic side of her of their days together before everything crumbled.

"Bring the walls down around us? I like it…but what if it takes us with it?"

"It's either we try it, or stay here."

"Perhaps…an arrangement can be made," She smiled back eerily yet without a hint of malice as she took hold of Olivia's gesture, returning a powerful handshake and in that moment, it was like the old days.

The effect was immediate, cracks forming along the dark void around them like glass fracturing. The dark memories fell away to be replaced by how they actually were without bias to either end of the spectrum. Light burst forth above and rushed to meet them as if the two were being propelled upward at an incredible velocity moments before all was consumed and shattered around them.

"If this works, I'll see you in the sunlight."

 **Ferry…**

"I'm gonna miss it," Yang sighed with a content smile to Pyrrha through her sunglasses as they stood on deck watching Patch shrink into the distance.

The trio from Patch had managed to reach the ferry before the last trip of the day, at their current pace they would be at the mainland of Sanus in no time. From there, Yang claimed to know where her mother would be residing based upon her uncle's previous instructions. Roland, the man who had remained by her side was currently down below, ensuring their vehicles were still secure in transit.

"If nothing else, it will be quite the experience," Pyrrha tried to remain cheerful. "I've never been to that part of Mistral."

"Probably for the best, according to Uncle Qrow it's not very hospitable. Will you be okay with…?"

"Don't worry about me," the Spartan shifted weight from her leg. "What about you?" Yang's only response was to subtly squeeze her mechanical fist, looking down with a sigh.

"Dad wasn't kidding about our intimidation factor…"

"We will be there for each other," Pyrrha replied with certainty. "If one of our…afflictions hits us in battle then the others will make up for it. I am not as," she hesitated with a clear sign of sorrow, "agile as I once was."

"We'll have to once we reach my moth...Raven, I don't suspect convincing her to help will be easy. When we get there, just let me do all the talking, though it might be better if we save you for..."

"We are all set!" Roland called out as he emerged from below deck. "Not a hair out of place."

"Good to hear," Yang remarked back, her eyes unreadable past her glasses. "You know how touchy I can get about stray hairs."

The three stood together in the morning breeze, thoughts racing through their minds. Could they find Raven, would they get to Ruby and the others in time to help? They had not seen any of their friends since they departed Patch that cold morning before the rising sun. The nagging guilt at not being able to join them when they set out was pulling at their hearts. The unofficial team didn't know if they could do anything, but if there was a way to help they would take it. As soon as the group reached Sanus, their real journey would begin.

 **Atlas…**

The two women slipped out of the secret passage supplied by Klein who was able to accompany them. Penny crept out to examine the various aircraft in the hangar as Weiss bid farewell to the kindest soul she knew within the halls of Schnee Manor.

"I hope you find Winter," he whispered solemnly, clearly saddened to see her go despite the need for it. "Though it does an old heart good to see you in good company, I suppose your sister will be your only real family left after tonight."

Weiss laid a soft hand on his shoulder before wrapping the old butler in a strong hug, his eyes flickering several colors before he returned the gesture, holding back tears.

"I'll always have you," she whispered as he pulled away.

"That you will…now go, I'll seal up the way." With that last word, Klein closed the wall leaving no trace of the secret passage connecting it to the library.

"We can commandeer one of these," Penny pointed out a line of cargo ships recently having docked earlier that week. "According to reports, their cargo has already been unloaded."

"Don't you have a ship Penny?" Weiss asked as she looked over the old but still capable airships.

"The General's is secured nearby, but all Atlas vessels are closely monitored and I do not wish to involve him any more in our escape. Once we…"

"Who is there?" A gruff voice from the shadows caused the two girls to jump. Emerging from the far end of the room was a helmeted man. Based on his uniform he was a Schnee dust security officer rather than military.

 _I thought Klein made sure the guards were away, were we too loud or did he just come back early for his shift?_

"It is alright officer," Penny bowed politely, standing between him and Weiss and thinking fast. "I am taking inventory and…"

"Who is behind you?" He approached; hand on the pistol at his hip. Penny was very recognizable and he became apprehensive as soon as he spotted the artificial girl. "Show yourself or I'll be forced to…"

Weiss stepped out hesitantly from behind her, leaving the briefcase behind to avoid some suspicion. She stood tall and resolute at the man who looked very confused.

"I do believe I can roam about my own home!" She announced confidently.

"M-Ms. Schnee!" He stuttered; hand still on his firearm in its holster. "I did not hear from Mr. Schnee that you were allowed out of your room yet!"

"It was recent but I am feeling much better now."

"I-I'm sorry ma'am," he stuttered, clearly nervous beyond all words. "But we had STRICT orders until Mr. Schnee himself said so for your health. Please come with me, I don't want to…"

A loud thud sent the guard falling to the ground, another man standing behind twirling a helmet revealing his features.

"Cam!" Penny exclaimed with joy, stepping over the knocked out guard to give him a tight hug.

"I got the call," he smiled as he returned the embrace. "We should be able to fly low and stay off their radar for a few hours. After that we'll be free and clear. How have you been Weiss?"

"Just…fine," she replied, having not expected the young man to be there as well. She remembered Penny's pronouncement of his status at the party, yet had not seen him since the battle. "You should probably leave before…"

"Nonsense, if you think I'm staying behind while Penny goes who knows where, you've got another thing coming." Penny blushed at his words. "Besides, I already got this one here all prepped, come on."

The three boarded an Atlesian cargo ship Cameron had procured awaiting their arrival. Within a matter of seconds the experienced pilot had the engines spooling ready for takeoff.

"Won't anyone miss this ship?" Weiss asked, noticing the cargo still on board despite Penny's previous assertions.

"Don't feel bad," he called back over the machinery powering up. "They were smuggling everything, officially none of this manifest exists. If they want to report illegal goods they can be my guest."

Weiss took a seat in the cockpit behind Cam and Penny who was acting as his co-pilot. She made one last glance backwards at her home as the ship took off through the hangar doors leaving her old life behind. No alarm had been raised and as Cameron said, it did not appear that the sensors had picked them up. By the time anyone noticed or scrambled pursuit they'd be well on course for the mainland.

 _Winter…please wait a little bit longer._

 **Elsewhere…**

Olivia shot up in bed, gasping as her eyes adjusted to the ambiance around her. It wasn't long before she felt arms around her, telling who it was by the voice before seeing.

"Which one are you?" Nora asked, pulling her eyes open wide to check. She sighed in relief at the realization they were both their normal white and pink coloration again.

"Wh-where?" Olivia asked groggily, realizing she was in a rather sizable bed changed into unfamiliar pajamas.

"Mistral City," Ren informed, appearing beside his teammate. "We arrived last night and are quite safe. Are you alright?" He motioned towards her head.

Olivia scanned the room, spotting Jaune asleep in the corner and Ruby resting in the neighboring bed. Her shoulder was bare to reveal an ugly scar where the stinger had struck but the poison had receded, the purple veins nearly gone. She was sleeping peacefully, though her face looked deep in thought even in dreams. Olivia leaned back in her bed, glancing up to Ren. Finally, she grabbed a nearby mirror, fingers running through her locks at what she saw.

Her hair was swirled dirty blonde and platinum silver, neither color taking up more than the other. If those who saw it were unaware of what occurred, it would appear completely natural.

"I…we are fine," she replied to their collective confusion.

"There is A LOT to fill in," Nora held her arms out wide after a moment of awkward silence, holding out a small gold book. "Mr. Qrow just left; he had a BIG story to tell. Once the others are awake we can go over it…"

Olivia sighed; the hair coupled with her understandable annoyance at the ruckus so soon after waking being all the proof she needed to tell their plan had worked. That dark sealed portion of her mind was gone, she was whole and the young sniper of Team HERO was not alone. As Nora and Ren turned to check on Ruby, Olivia's eye flickered black for a half a moment before returning to normal.

 **One for all eh boss? Maybe we can work something out after all…**

"Maybe we can," she whispered, drawing the attention of the others. "You guys should know, but before then I never told any of you my full name did I?" They looked to each other uncertain as they thought they had known. "It's Olivia…Olivia Hildegarde Ramus."

 **Menagerie…**

Esmerelda carried the tray, making her way towards the study where Sun was recovering. Blake absolutely refused to leave his side; she was certain some tea no matter how watery would be welcome. Reaching out, she was about to open the door until she heard raised voices inside.

"SHUT UP!" it was clearly Blake. "Do you think I like being alone? Every day…every day I think about them. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, everyone at Beacon, they were all my friends! I hope they hate me for leaving!"

"You don't mean that," she heard Sun's voice, releasing a pent up gasp that he was awake.

"Yes I do! Everyone thinks they can help me but they can't. You saw Ilia last night and she's not even the worst! No, everyone is better off without me."

"Does that include your parents too?" Sun's voice was oddly calm. Esmerelda could not help but press her ears against the door to hear better. "Don't think I didn't put two and two together why you came back here…I'm not as dumb as you think."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on Blake, you run away from your friends supposedly to keep them safe but then go right to your parents who think the world of you? Only one reason I can think of if you weren't lying…you came to say goodbye before leaving them behind too didn't you?"

Esmerelda pressed her eye into the door, trying to look through the keyhole out of rabid curiosity from Blake's silence.

"You think you're being selfless but you're not. You're running from everyone trying to protect them, but I'd go through last night all over again if it meant keeping you safe. You make your choices but you DON'T make ours. And hey, the next time we face lizard girl, I won't be doing it for you…it'll be to get even."

Esmerelda heard a grunt of pain before a giggle from Blake, causing her to do a double take.

"Did she just…?"

"Ssshh, I can't hear."

Esmerelda turned; she had been so focused on the door she didn't realize that both Ghira and Kali Belladonna were behind her. The feline mother leaned forward, pressing beside Esmerelda into the door.

"What is she saying?"

"My hero…" they heard Blake mutter several seconds before Kali's added weight proved too much to bear.

The door caved in, sending Esmerelda and Blake's mother crashing to the ground. Somehow, the lancer of Team HERO managed to keep the tray of tea upright. Recovering, they realized that Sun and Blake were watching them with exasperated expressions, completely forgetting they were clasping each other's hands.

"O-oh dear!" Kali jumped to her feet, falling into a cutesy expression as if the collapse hadn't happened "Would you look at that, he's awake…thank goodness!" She ended with a very awkward smile from which there was no recovery.

"Kali please…" Ghira groaned, clearly embarrassed beyond words as Esmerelda staggered to her feet, glancing every which way as if every other corner of the study was incredibly fascinating.

"MOM!" She called out embarrassed. "Ezzy! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Mrs. B," Sun looked no less shy over his shirtless and bandaged state among the group.

"Well, your father and I needed to speak with all of you. It is perfect everyone is here at the same time."

Ghira Belladonna laid a scroll in the center of the room, clearly having broken its security measures to reveal its contents.

"You were right Blake; Adam Taurus is planning an attack on Haven Academy. According to this scroll he is meeting with Sienna Khan to seek her support. It could be the fall of Beacon all over again"

"I can't believe Sienna would go that far," Kali interjected, remembering her old misguided friend.

"We can stop them, if we destroy the White Fang once and for all," Sun chimed in. His face was full of determination.

"No," Blake announced, standing to her feet and glancing at the collected room. "We're going to take it back."

Esmerelda could not help but smirk back.

 _If we can stop the White Fang without destroying them…then Yuma might…_

"Ahem," Esmerelda called attention to herself with a sigh. "Before then, there is something I feel you all should know about me and I am sorry I kept it secret until now."

 **Salem's Domain…**

Fire slashed outward again and again; one by one Grimm of the largest breeds fell before her, disintegrating in an instant.

Cinder scowled, how many hours did Salem have her in that room cutting down her creations over and over? She educated the new Maiden that continued use of her powers would acclimate her to their usage as well as simultaneously strengthening them, but she was getting tired; even lifting her arms was now a strain. She had started the training creating weapons of all varieties made of fire, ice even earth. As the hours dragged on her energy had waned, now she had barely enough strength for the simplest of attacks.

Four Beowolves advanced on Cinder behind their brethren she had just vaporized. They were no mere run of the mill Grimm, the green crystals growing from their backs gave away Merlot's handiwork. He had been quite busy for his new patron over the many months.

Cinder remembered the fight so long ago against Merlot and his creations, her fury was rekindled in an instant coupled with the uncertainty of her knight's fate since the receptacle had been destroyed on his end. That had been days ago with no word. With a painful grunt she swiped her left sleeve in their direction, a blade of flame burst forth bisecting all of them horizontally at the stomach. The assembled Grimm crumbled to ash before their pieces hit the ground.

Cinder was panting hard by now past the point of exhaustion. Salem had spent the entire training watching in silence from the corner of the room, judging every move she made with her blood-red eyes.

 _How much longer is she planning to…?_

A roar snapped the woman out of her thoughts; a massive Beringel emerged from the shadowy corners of the room, an enormous fist aimed squarely at her face. Merlot's work could be seen here as well though subtly as green varicose veins wormed across its face from a green crystal replacing its left eye.

Cinder raised her hand; she had maybe enough strength for one more blast, just one more…

Before she could harness the power, the doors to the arena burst open followed closely by a trail of blue light. The Beringel exploded before reaching her, its charred corpse crashing to the ground in a heap. Salem turned to the door, a look of utter annoyance growing across her face, her eyes bright red in the dim light.

Ember was the first to enter, laying his still-smoking Railblade, Excaliburn as it was called, to the side and casting away his broken helmet. He did not even glance at Salem as he rushed to Cinder's side, catching his Maiden before her legs gave out from exhaustion, easing her gently to the ground.

"I missed you," he whispered only for her to hear.

Cinder opened her mouth, a hoarse rasp escaping her lips. After a brief respite to allow her breathing to return to normal, Ember helped her to her feet. He knew her better than to do something foolish and unnecessary like trying to carry her.

"Welcome home Ember," Salem greeted, having restrained her scowl at his interruption of Cinder's training. "It is reassuring to see you home once more. Please wait outside and we may discuss your mission; Cinder and I have more to do before the day is done."

Ember inhaled deeply as he turned to face Salem. Cinder leaned on him only as much as she needed to remain on her feet, avoiding eye contact with her master in black.

 _She doesn't want to defy Salem…that can be my duty._

"It…has been so long since I've seen her, your Grace," he started; choosing his words carefully while suppressing his disdain for how obviously beaten down Cinder appeared to be. "I beg an early reprieve from the day's training."

"That will slow her growth," Salem stressed, her scowl starting to reform. "Young Cinder has been holding back, she must utilize her powers as much as possible in as many ways as she can conceive their use to strengthen them and temper her mastery."

"And she will far more now that I have returned," he promised. "I can think of no better training partner than one who is immune to injury. You need not sacrifice so many of your creations that way."

Salem raised an eyebrow at him, eyes narrowing towards the obvious marks around his neck from the battle. "You would weather her fury each and every day to reinforce her power?"

Ember turned to face Cinder as he answered. "If it helps her…I will gladly face all her wrath for as long as necessary."

 _It wouldn't be the first time._

Salem's wicked smile widened at his words. "Very well, in that case you are free to…"

A sobbing sniffling could be heard from the door as Tyrian shuffled in, rubbing his hands together nervously. Upon seeing Salem he threw himself to his knees before her, bowing as low as he could. Salem's hunter had arrived shortly before Ember yet was so fearful at how his goddess would react he had delayed to contemplate how to explain their failure.

"I'm sorry…she'll forgive me…not my fault," he was still babbling as he had the entire way back to the Keep. "Pleeeaaseee forgive me."

"Tyrian," Salem acknowledged his presence. "We may go over it now, your task…were you both successful?"

Tyrian looked at Salem but avoided her eyes; he looked like a puppy that had just been kicked.

"N-no," he finally answered, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Salem turned to face Ember; surprisingly she did not appear angry or enraged. Rather her features relaxed as if she had expected this outcome. Her eyes appeared no less annoyed, however.

"Qrow Branwen was with them," Ember explained calmly, filing his report rather than groveling as Tyrian did. "He expected an attack on the children and was watching nearby, together they were…somewhat formidable."

"Yet you escaped with the girl," Salem revealed her knowledge of his last conversation with Cinder. "How exactly did a bunch of children and one Huntsman best you?" Her tone was stern yet collected, reigning in anger that would put Cinder's wrath to shame.

Ember recounted the battle, leaving out no details save for his application of the anti-venom or the swiftness of his withdrawal after claiming Excaliburn. Cinder's hand clenched angrily over his like a vice at the mention that Ruby had been left behind, but softened after several seconds as the fury washed past her.

"So the girl is dead then? She was to be returned here alive…"

"I did not remain behind to confirm her status," Ember answered, praying she could not actually read minds. "The Alpha Grimm had claimed my weapon and exhausted me while Qrow Branwen arrived as the others were ready to continue…"

Salem's hand flew outward, summoning a great pit of blackness beneath Ember's feet. In a flash, dozens of black arms seized him, dragging the struggling knight to the ground. Despite his best efforts, he could not resist them as several pulled Cinder from his shoulder.

"That was the only reason you withdrew?" She asked harshly yet with a calm voice. Tyrian had held his ground yet was trembling uncontrollably, surely imagining the same fate befalling him. "And surely nothing to do with your previous allegiances?"

"I…could not guarantee an escape with her," he gasped in pain, the arms squeezing tightly around his neck, generating insufficient force to engage his semblance. "So I made a tactical retreat while I could."

Salem glared back at him, seemingly ready to continue until she heard a poof of flame behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she spotted an exhausted, panting Cinder standing on her own two feet. The orange flame of her powers flickering in the remaining eye. The ruler of the Grimm let a slight smirk through her terrifying image. With the most nonchalant of motions, she lowered her hand, the pool of arms receding with it.

"The last eye is distracted then," Salem mused, eliciting a quizzical stare from Ember as he recovered gasping on the floor, this time it was Cinder who helped him. He had not heard her refer to an eye before. "You both…disappoint me. Though I am not the one to whom you must explain your failings," Salem's eyes darted to Cinder for an instant. With those last words she glided from the room, leaving the three alone.

Tyrian did not take her proclamation well, after Salem left tears streamed down his face, he was screaming more manically than Ember had ever heard. Based on the disturbed expression on Cinder's face, it was the worst she had ever seen too.

A single Alpha Beowolf remained in the training arena, no doubt attracted by the intense emotions from Tyrian it roared, leaping at the sobbing Faunus and ignoring the others.

Tyrian howled as if in agony; tears still streaming down his face as he punched the Grimm with his wrist blades. The beast flew across the room; the hunter was on it in an instant punching again and again. Each attack was meant to cause pain, not death and as a result the Beowolf did not disintegrate, trapped beneath his psychotic flurries. Tyrian's sobs slowly twisted, transforming into crazed laughter masking his pain, the tears never stopping as he continued mercilessly beating the defeated Grimm. Ember released Cinder, allowing her to stand on her own two feet once more. Despite her head shakes he approached the tormented faunus, reaching out with a hand.

"Tyrian…" he started, his hand clasping gently to the man's shoulder.

Tyrian spun in a blink, burying his wrist blade squarely into Ember's face. Mercifully the battered Beowolf beneath him began to crumble as it passed away. Ember's power had saved him, the blade pressing against his cheek but not piercing though his aura crackled gold at the blow. Cinder had taken several steps forward but stopped upon seeing him unharmed.

Tyrian's tears had stopped but remained glistening on his face, screaming, he took a second swing with his other hand striking Ember's gut. Cinder's knight allowed enough force through for Tyrian's blow to push him back slightly; he'd need some sort of gratification. The faunus swung again and again, his blows having no effect after the first few attacks. Ember did not keep track of how long Tyrian unleashed his blind unfocused barrage, but he continued over and over. Cinder stared on, clearly unsure how to react; Ember could not be harmed by such brutish simplistic attacks, despite knowing this fact she did not wish to witness it.

After a time, Tyrian's arms began to slow, drenched in sweat from the exertions. The scorpion-faunus just stared into Ember's eyes, his own as wide open as his body would allow them. He had stopped swinging but was still pushing forward with all his remaining strength, he was somewhat calmer than before…somewhat.

"Better?" Ember asked.

Tyrian did not reply, only collapsing to his knees once more, his sobs reduced to short sniffles, he looked utterly broken. Ember could think of nothing to comfort him, the woman he saw as a Goddess had just voiced her utter displeasure in him, he understood that pain to an extent. He patted his traveling companion's shoulder softly before turning back to Cinder.

"Let's get out of here," Ember whispered, helping her out of the arena all the while ensuring he was between Tyrian and her. He truly felt sorry for the man, was there nothing he could do for him? His mind was bent to Salem's will long ago.

Cinder would need rest and he was mentally drained as well. Ember started towards her room hoping he remembered the layout of the Keep.

"I didn't expect her to send me away so soon," he explained apologetically for his absence once they were in the halls outside. "If she tries putting you through anything else I swear I'll…"

Cinder stopped in her tracks when they were far enough from the arena, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Ember did the same; he had missed her so much. She was the strongest woman he knew but around Salem she had no power. Unless he could find a true trump card she would never be free.

 _The power of the four Maidens, that would be a good start. But what will I have to do by then, Olivia…your eyes are as terrifying as Ruby's were._ His solemn thoughts turned to joy as Cinder opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't…leave…EVER again. THAT is an order." The words were clear for the first time since the Battle at Beacon. Tears welled in Ember's eyes at hearing her real voice after so long.

"Never again," he swore, deepening their embrace, the conflicted contemplation pushed aside for that night. "Not even by Salem's command."

They finally reached Cinder's room; ever the gentleman, Ember opened the door for her.

"I…hope you sleep well, we can discuss the mission in the morning if that is to your liking. If you need anythi…"

Cinder grabbed his wrist as he turned to leave, giving him a look of mild annoyance, her voice may have been on the mend but clearly she felt nothing need be said. There was a gleam in her eyes he hadn't seen before; it was stern yet tender, much more so than since witnessing her true face back at Beacon. She did not want him to go and he had no desire to leave.

"As…you wish, my lady."

"You don't have to keep talking like that."

Without another word, the two of them clasped hands together and disappeared inside Cinder's chamber, closing the door behind them and locking it with an echoing click. Neither witnessed a pair of red eyes intently watching their exchange unseen from the shadows.

 **Mistral Crowbar…**

Qrow sighed as he slipped into the establishment, his head pounding after explaining the legends surrounding the Twin Gods and what they were working to defend at Haven. He was tired; his head pounding like a hundred Goliaths yet couldn't rest, best answer for that was another drink as his flask had run dry days before.

"The usual," he called out towards the bartender as he sat on a stool. Anytime he stopped in Mistral he always enjoyed this particular hangout. The drinks were decent; the staff were cute and never talked much, but most importantly was almost always empty. "Extra-large if you would."

"Mr. Branwen," he nodded while fixing the drink. "Didn't expect you back so soon, I guess I just lost a bet."

"Bet?" He asked only half interested as the glass slid in front of him.

"Someone's been fixing to meet you, damnedest thing I ever saw but seems he had it right." He turned towards the back near the small tables where patrons could eat. "Yo! Kid! He's here; you can stop working for five minutes!"

Qrow downed most of his drink, soft footfalls approaching from behind he pretended to ignore until they no more than a few feet away. Irritated, yet intrigued, he spun to look at the figure. It was a young man with brown hair, based on his attire he would have fit right at home on a farm or in the fields. The older huntsman guessed he couldn't be as old as Ruby at most. He wasn't ringing a bell and looked more than a little nervous.

"Well? What do you want pipsqueak?"

"Shut up, I'm getting there," the boy mumbled, apparently to no one as he glanced away before standing a little straighter and looking him dead in the eyes. "Umm, I'm supposed to tell you...I'd like my cane back?"

It was an odd statement framed as a question like the boy didn't really know if that is what he wanted. Qrow's bored face broke into the fringes of a smile, nodding understandingly as he reached beneath his cloak. The young man took a step back before realizing he had pulled out a short grey ornate handle with a white tip, the same which he had carried ever since retrieving it from Pyrrha at Patch.

"It's good to see you again Oz," he replied, tossing the short handle to him.

Oscar barely caught the object in time, whether it was intended or inadvertent, he gripped it at the right angle to cause the remainder of the cane to emerge from within. With a confused expression, he held the item that was so indicative of Headmaster Ozpin, taking one more step towards this mysterious duty he had pondered ever since first hearing that voice in his head.

"You may not be able to join in," Qrow teased as he leaned back against the bar. "But I'm not leaving here without a few more rounds…"

 **Volume 4 comes to a close; our heroes hold to their course, meet new friends and reflect on their past and futures. As before, I will be taking a hiatus to plan and rest before continuing Volume 5.** **I am uncertain how long that will be and I apologize in advance. For those enjoying the separate story Haven Lost, please keep in mind I will be closing that story and all future updates will go directly through RWBY Heroes: A Double-Edged Sword.**

 **I noticed that some characters have been liked more so I wanted to ask here for the future due to how many characters there are, are there particular characters you would prefer get more screen time than others? I'll take all input into account when designing Volume 5.**

 **A recent commission was made showcasing Ember and Cinder's actions after closing the door behind them. To find it, just search "Till the Stroke of Midnight" by AzaryaS; mature content warning before you do.**

 **A big thank you to all my fans and those enjoying these stories. As always I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys!**


	50. Dark & Light Trailers

**Spencermalley935: Thank you so much, I hope it was not too long lol.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I am so glad you liked it, let us hope she doesn't know too much, though it may work into her plans in the end.**

 **Gzilla54: I felt the same, we got to see so little with almost no explanation in canon why the students who lived there were nowhere to be seen. I am not picking it up fully as I did before, though can trickle out chapters as the show continues. Chibi time has been scarce but if I get a hit of inspiration I can start it up again along with my other projects ongoing.**

 **C0rrupted1: That is a tricky question, you are right that deaths don't need to happen but can impact if done well. No spoilers, but all I can say is that if it is fitting to the story that it will happen...**

 **Constipated Genius: Your in-depth reviews are so appreciated :D It means so much you've enjoyed this story since the beginning. Indeed Cam is the pilot...hopefully a bit more fortunate than his canon counterpart.**

 **LunaTheBlackWolf: It really is XD Even more so if you saw the art piece I had done of the "interim scene" XD Only the future will tell ;)**

 **Amelia: Thank you :D Seeing your enjoyment over these scenes I make between those two makes it even more worth it :) With any luck, Horatio can retain his soul as he works to protect his Maiden.**

 **CatPeople WithGuns: Well, Neo and Roman are still out there, they will be back I assure you... ;)**

 **bookwrym321: Thank you very much for the kind words :D I hope you enjoy my plans for the future just as much! I'll admit writing Oscar working in the bar for who knows how long with Oz KNOWING Qrow would be around was funnier to write than it should have been to me lol.**

 **batomys2731: Thank you! Seeing your commissions of your ideas was part of what inspired me to finally put mine to paper so it means so much that you have enjoyed my story. I hope that continues as I move into later volumes :D**

 **And with that...Onto the Trailers!**

 _ **Dark Trailer…**_

Horatio lunged across the training yard, fist impacting Roland's shield with a resounding crack of energy. He friend and teammate buckled to a knee but did not give in. Releasing a grunt of defiance, he pushed back with a blow causing Horatio to jump back. He didn't notice the new attacker until she was upon him.

A flurry of bladed scimitars danced in a ring towards him. The leader of Team HERO put his arms up, taking the spinning saw blade without sign of injury. Esmerelda kicked off his shoulder, bouncing over to take up position behind Roland's shield wall. Horatio stepped forward, ready to continue only to be stopped by the extended blades of her naginata. The outnumbered team leader weaved around the first, only to be driven back but the second. Leaping up, he ran along the length of the next towards the two, blocked once more by Roland, though he prepared to bound over his shield for the victory.

Leaping high, Horatio felt an impact on the back of his head, almost negligible were it not for sensing the energy he had absorbed. All the same, even his closest friends were unaware of how his ability worked and thus he overshot his mark, pretending to feel the impact. Scratching the back of his head like an itch he turned to face the approaching final member of their team.

"Okay, you got me," he smiled. "I didn't sense your presence at all."

"I may have gotten you," Olivia remarked, leaning on her sniper rifle with a gentle smile. "But we didn't win, you barely felt that, right?"

His face could not lie to her.

"Like I said in the forest…cheat code," Esmerelda interjected, sheathing her weapon as its copies disappeared. "You scarcely need backup."

"Don't say that," Horatio hated to hear such a thing. "You all have skills I couldn't hope to learn. I'm just a blunt instrument."

"A blunt instrument that guarantees passing grades in any practical combat study course we will ever have," Esmerelda looked a bit more excited than usual. Olivia could barely contain a laugh over how serious she was in these situations.

"And with the four of us working together," Roland gently punched Horatio in the shoulder reassuringly. "There is nothing we can't do."

"Oh! Team attack names!" Olivia jumped in, unable to contain herself. We HAVE to have at least one! I heard Team RWBY was thinking of some before the second semester starts. We can't let them have all the fun."

The others chuckled at her enthusiasm, Roland being the first to speak up.

"If you really want us to show how necessary we are, the three of us could design a cooperative attack that can beat even you," he challenged.

"You don't need to," Horatio assured him. "After all, when would such a move even come in handy?"

"How about when your Maiden comes to burn the rest of us?"

Ember shot up in bed, gasping loudly as the fond memory turned black, shocking him awake. He was in a dark chamber, the magenta-red sky and shimmering crystals outside barely generating enough illumination to light up the room without candles.

 _Another dream,_ he realized as his heart-rate slowed. _Just a dream, calm down and…_

Any chance of calming down was dashed as he leaned back; quickly realizing he was not alone. Beside him, covered by thin extravagant crimson sheets was none other than the Maiden whose life he had saved at the expense of the world he knew. Cinder Fall was sleeping peacefully, scar tissue on the left half of her body exposed despite her regrowing hair facing away from him, the dark mask long-since discarded. She did not favor covering that side as she had before, expressing without words the contentment felt in his presence almost alien to her before. In that moment, the dream faded and the pleasant memories of the night before flooded back to him.

 _That was certainly no dream,_ Ember reached out, planning to caress her ever-warm bare back before withdrawing as he realized it would undoubtedly wake her. _Why couldn't things just…be simpler?_

With a single thought in mind, he slowly and carefully slipped away without disturbing her side of the bed. Unable to contain a somber smile of joy, he crept to the door, ducking out and closing it behind him.

 _She'll be hungry, I didn't eat much either after getting back; a nice breakfast could put a smile on her face._

He set out into the darkened halls of Salem's Keep. Despite the impossible situation he found himself in, fighting alongside the force against every power in Remnant, his friends included, he tried to find solace in what he could. He'd already memorized the kitchens from his time caring for her and in no time at all he had a skillet going with a trio of eggs sizzling atop. Ember was so focused on the morning ritual he did not notice the new presence until he was in the kitchens and the chilling voice reached his ears.

"Long night?"

Ember spun, beholding the Queen in black. Salem loomed behind him as the shadows warped around her body; his blood ran cold upon realizing her eyes glowed redder than usual.

"Your Grace," he bowed hesitantly. "What are you…?" An invisible force seized his throat, causing the knight to lift into the air despite no obvious means of how it was accomplished. He gasped, breath cut off as he clawed at his own neck, desperately searching for relief but coming up empty.

"The gall…," she muttered in restrained anger before whipping a pale, dark-veined hand to the side. Ember flew through the air; smashing through the wall into the next room and landing face down amid the rubble and stone. He could taste copper in his mouth.

 _That…that hurt, why did that hurt? My semblance should have taken the blow!_

"Your Grace, I don't underst…"

He did not finish his sentence before the force held him again, crushing the young man into the floor utterly immobilizing him. Ember could not even speak as she slowly, menacingly approached before kneeling to look him dead in the eyes.

"You overstepped your bounds last night. You are her knight, nothing more; to think any different is utter arrogance." Her voice was calm yet bubbling with malice. "If you think of her in any way beyond that of your master again…it will be the last thought in your head."

Ember looked up, swallowing hard to force himself past the pain constricting his throat. With the limited oxygen and no options out, he said the first thing that popped into his head, the absolute truth.

"Then you might as well kill me. Those feelings are the entire reason I am here. If I only saw her as a master…I'd still be back at Beacon or dead by now."

"You dare?" Salem wrapped a cold hand around his neck, squeezing tighter as her gaze bored through him. She showed an uncharacteristically large amount of emotion on her face buried beneath being clear frustration. "You are unworthy, you…"

Salem glanced behind her, almost nervous like someone may come across them; with a final groan she dropped his head back down to face the floor. Ember dared not move until he was certain no further assault was coming, only after several seconds of silence did he look up. Their master in black had vanished, more bafflingly so was the hole in the wall and assorted debris he had been resting in moments before. The bleeding and accompanying pain was gone as well, the inexplicable bruising that his semblance should have blocked had disappeared without a trace. Ember found himself on the floor of the kitchen where he had been before being approached by Cinder's master in black.

"Wha…wh…," Ember analyzed his surroundings with a bewildered expression.

It was as if no one had been there at all. He was so confused he almost missed the sound of distantly retreating high-heeled shoes down the corridor. The clacking was gone in a matter of moments with no hope of pursuit. He had no idea what footwear Salem wore beneath her void-spanning robe; however he knew of one person in the Keep who wore such shoes and whose abilities explained the previous few moments perfectly.

"Emerald?" A smell reached his nose before his mind could go any further. "Oh shoot, the eggs!"

 _ **Light Trailer…**_

"On your left!"

Yang called out to her friend, the former Mistral Champion diving forward as best she could to avoid the descending flock while spearing the nearest pair. Towards the far side, a line of civilians fled into the ship's interior covered by a dark-haired man and his shield. The swarm of bird-like Grimm each barely larger than Zwei wheeled around to attack again though Roland was ready for them this time. Keeping a solid stance and his shield high, he fired Ember Celica with wide-explosive rounds into their bulk, causing many to fall from the sky, however the flock appeared barely affected in terms of numbers. Small arms fire from the various crew assisted with the assault, their main guns far too large to be useful against numerous small targets.

It had been several days since the trio boarded the ship and while there had been the occasional Grimm sighting, nothing like what now attacked the ship had appeared until that morning. Three of the ship's crew were unfortunate victims as they were literally carried off into the ocean engulfed in a sea of Grimm.

Pyrrha was putting her new spear to the test, ignoring her lingering pain, she was keeping ahead of the swarm, vaulting and cleaving them in half when stragglers ventured too close. When the bulk neared she thrusted the tip within, detonating a dust explosion that cleared the skies near. Despite the impressive feats, to those who knew her best it was obvious her technique was slower with less speed and maneuverability than she had previously used. Yang stood at the prow, daring as many of the Grimm to attack her. She only retained a single gauntlet of Ember Celica, but the other was now supplemented by a small hand-cannon attached to her Atlesian prosthetic.

"And another to crow on!" Yang looked to be in high spirits despite their outnumbered status, almost matching her demeanor back at Beacon of which Roland sorely missed. She bounded across the deck, sliding beneath chairs and vaulting to the upper floor to stay ahead of the species known as Gullbain's frying what she could as she ran. The crew had never seen so many.

"Roland, now!"

The guardsman of Team HERO nodded, winding up his shield as he flipped a switch beneath before loosing it like a discus. The shield ignited with lightning dust as it entered the flock with devastating effects. One by one, the Grimm plummeted as bolts chaining from bird to bird before exiting the cloud of enemies. With expert precision, the bulwark curved and returned to the huntsman's waiting hand with a resounding clang as it impacted his aura.

The sound echoed across the ship causing Yang to noticeably stop, taking in the noise that so closely resembled the sound of a certain crimson blade sheering through a metal bulwark before finding her arm. She froze up, no longer seeing the scene in front of her as the remaining Gullbain banked hard right for her.

"Yang!" Pyrrha called out, the spear in her hands transforming in an instant to resemble an assault rifle.

Aiming down the laser sight of her new creation, Pyrrha released a hail of gunfire. Had it been unleashed before it would scarcely have dented their numbers, however with their flock greatly diminished by Roland's use of his new aegis, the last of the foul creatures started to rain from the sky. The Spartan huntress' clip ran dry as the last of the Grimm plummeted, sliding to a stop at the base of Yang's feet and did not stir.

"We did it!" A deckhand nearby cried as the others assisting slumped in exhaustion and relief. "The huntsmen did it!"

A cheer rose up from the crew and passengers who witnessed the final barrage, none seeming to notice the blonde brawler grip her remaining, slowly quivering real left hand to steady it. Roland rushed over, only to be met with a quick motion asking for a moment.

"Thanks," she smiled back softly. "But I got this, I'm a big girl."

"I never questioned that," he grinned, succeeding in eliciting a smirk from her as she allowed him to take a hand, his other ever so softly stroking her hair to quell the shakes.

"I'll be fine, besides I think our adoring fans would like a word."

The trio turned, barely having noticed the passengers returning above deck rushing forward in thanks, swarming the three as much as the Grimm had moments ago. Roland held onto Yang's hand for several moments before they were swept apart. She gave him a wink, letting him know it was fine as they turned to the crowd, Pyrrha especially had garnered quite a following as they started answering every questions presented….

 **Later…**

Roland took a step forward, pressing his shield into an invisible foe as he punched with Ember Celica. The chamber was empty; he would never risk a misfire to wake the passengers, especially Yang. Despite the extensive training with her father, he never stopped…he had seen what they faced. The mutated Grimm of Dr. Merlot, Cinder Fall and her magic power according to Olivia, not to mention the White Fang. Roland clenched his fist angrily at the last thought, remembering Adam Taurus' attack on Yang and Horatio's fall from Cinder's machinations. Apparently Adam had a history with Blake and was no doubt the reason she had fled without a single goodbye, Yang still hadn't forgiven her for that and Roland couldn't blame her.

"A fine display, but if you shift your back leg a few centimeters it will give a bit more stability in the event of a forced retreat."

Roland turned as Pyrrha approached from behind leaning on her spear. She held that content smile she always seemed to have regardless of the situation.

"Sorry that I woke you."

"You were quite silent," she assured him. "I was already awake, that and you have been doing this on deck for days."

They were still on the vessel heading for the mainland of Anima, rather than taking the direct route to the nearest shore, they were riding it out to get as close to their location as possible. Yang was the only one who knew where her mother's people were settled, when asked to share she seemed hesitant as if it were her burden to bear.

"Can never train too much," he brushed off her comment, placing the reforged round shield securely on his back.

"I felt the same," Pyrrha admitted, taking a seat as it was obvious she'd been doing her own exercises before joining him. "Getting stronger, better and learning as much as possible to protect others."

"But it wasn't enough at Beacon."

"No…it wasn't, they clearly had been planning the attack for some time."

"Since the first semester at least," Roland recalled their first spotting Team CRMS and how their plot must have been in place even then. "What do you know of the Branwen Tribe?"

"That they've had many names, that one is apparently the most recent. They attack anywhere vulnerable enough and raid supplies without any qualms about attracting Grimm. Argus was fortified enough we never had any run-ins with them, but I heard stories from further away when I was a little girl. Until the fall of Beacon they had been very quiet, I haven't heard of any direct attacks in a long time."

"And we're heading straight for them? I hope Yang knows what she's doing."

"Do you trust that she does?" His answer was immediate as it was certain.

"More than anything." He looked up at the shattered moon hanging low in the night sky reflecting off the ocean waves. "Whatever it takes so that Beacon doesn't happen again. I…I miss everyone and how things used to be."

"As do we all," she laid a hand on his shoulder, all three of them were separated from their respective teams. That fostered a sense of comradery between them even greater than that already shared as Huntsmen and Huntresses. "You should get some sleep."

"Like I could sleep now," he sighed. They'd each been given an individual cabin for their assistance in protecting the ship, but he barely used his and it was showing with dark bags under his eyes. "I'll be up another hour tops then I'll turn in…I swear," he added at seeing her clearly untrusting expression.

"Pushing yourself too hard won't help anyone, her least of all." With that final word of experienced wisdom, Pyrrha disappeared below deck.

 _I have to keep pushing,_ Roland lowered his shield again, slamming forward despite how sore and heavy his arms felt. _My previous training wasn't enough for that Adam or those mutated Grimm back in Forever Fall. I have to keep going…and hope I know when I reach that apex without shattering._

 **A short update for chapter 50, this was the first half of the "trailers" setting up Volume 5 which will start up closer to Volume 7 for the meanwhile. Updates will still be sparser than they were, but I wanted to provide something for my fans as a result of the lengthy downtime. Olivia and Esmerelda's trailers are next time, but until then I hope everyone Reads and Reviews...but most of all Enjoys! :D**


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